Report explains what Jack Chapman’s role at Tottenham will be – ‘Steady conveyor belt’

Jack Chapman arrives at Tottenham Hotspur with big expectations on his shoulders, as the new head of academy recruitment will be tasked with improving the ‘conveyor belt’ of young talent coming through the club below the age of 16.

Jack Chapman is set to join Spurs from Southampton

Tottenham‘s youth teams have flourished in recent years. The Under-18s won the league and cup double last year, while the Under-21s stormed to the top of the Premier League 2 table this season before winning the play-offs to officially lift the title.

Jamie Donley has enjoyed time with the senior side and has a number of minutes under his belt. Young defender Alfie Dorrington made it onto the bench for 11 straight games late last year, while talented teenager Mikey Moore progressed to the first team and made his debut at the end of the season.

Still, Ange Postecoglou wants more players coming through the club’s academy who can step up to the first team in the future.

Jack Chapman needs to improve youth intake at Spurs

In a report from Football.London, it is suggested Chapman, who arrives from a similar role at Southampton, will have a “big job” on his hands at Spurs, as there has been some “dissatisfaction” with regards to the flow of young players developing at the club.

In particular, there is a belief that “the volume of quality” being introduced to the academy below the age of 16 has not been good enough in recent years. Academy director, Simon Davies, has been keen to establish a “steady conveyor belt” of youth players for the long-term.

This is something Postecoglou has spoken about, as have other previous Spurs managers. It is thought the Australian holds regular meetings with Davies already to discuss the “state of the academy,” with Postecoglou impressed by Davies’ “vision for the future.”

Spurs Web Opinion

The youth system at Spurs is good, and the young players in the Under-18s and Under-21s are clearly talented. But, how many of them have been developed from day one at Spurs?

We know the likes of Will Lankshear and Jude Soonsup-Bell, for example, were signed as teenagers, so we need to pick these players up even sooner.

Considering the focus of Chapman’s role will be geared towards the younger age range of the academy setup, hopefully it will mean that we will see further talent of Mikey Moore’s ability coming off the conveyor belt in future years.