Tottenham Hotspur have lost some of their most highly rated academy products in recent years.
In 2018, striker Reo Griffiths swapped north London for Lyon while Keanan Bennetts made the switch to Bundesliga outfit Borussia Monchengladbach (Football.London).
Others have also departed including Noni Madueke, who left the club as a 16-year-old to join PSV Eindhoven. The latest player to have called time on their academy stint is Luis Binks.
The 18-year-old central defender made the move to MLS outfit Montreal Impact who are managed by Thierry Henry last month and has described his exit from Tottenham as a ‘no brainer’.
Binks has seen fellow academy player Japhet Tanganga made the step up to the Spurs first team but was not prepared to play Under-23 football when the offer of senior football was on the table to him.
The Daily Mail reported last month that Mourinho tried to step in when he heard that Binks had grown frustrated at his lack of opportunity but was unable to persuade him to remain at the club.
“Since Mourinho had come in, I was a lot more involved,” Binks told MLS Soccer.
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“Over Christmas, I was in while everyone else was off. There were a few that would come in and I was one of them to train with the first team.”
“Some could see why I’ve done it, but some were saying, ‘Why has he done that?’” he added.
“I’ve got no regrets about coming to play first-team football at the age of 18. It’s better than playing Under-23 football in front of, I don’t know, 200 people.”
“I’m happy with my decision,” Binks continued. “I’m working under the coaching staff, playing with players that are so experienced in Europe and MLS. It’s a no-brainer to come here, really.”
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