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A teenage forward has penned an emotional farewell letter to his club ahead of linking up with Tottenham Hotspur.
There has been plenty of speculation on who Spurs’ top targets will be in January, but the Lilywhites have already secured the services of a young striker.
Spurs signed Mason Melia from St Patrick’s Athletic for £1.6m plus add-ons back in February, with the youngster seen as one of the best young talents to emerge from Irish football over recent years.
The forward turned 18 in September, which means that he can now arrive at Tottenham during the upcoming transfer window.
The youngster played all 90 minutes in St Pats’ final game of the season at the weekend, which ended in a 0-0 draw at Shelbourne.
Mason Melia sends a message ahead of Tottenham move
The forward has finished the campaign with 13 goals and four assists to his name from 35 League of Ireland matches.
Despite only turning 18 just two months ago, he has a total of 98 senior matches for the Irish club, scoring 25 and recording eight assists.
The youngster, who has also found the back of the net three times in four matches for the Republic of Ireland’s U21, has now penned an emotional message on social media after playing his final game for his boyhood club.
Melia wrote on Instagram: “Never thought the day would come that I would be closing my chapter at @stpatsfc, I would like to thank everyone that has supported me while at my time at Pats to the staff, teammates and to all the fans.
“From making my debut to scoring my first league goal, winning the cup and making so many memories with my teammates. I’ve met some good people and not so good…Everyone has a played a vital role in my career, and I can’t say how thankful I am for that, I’ve made some close friends that I will always have by my side. Thank you to all of you that believed in me and gave me a path to get to where I am today. Once a saint, always a saint.”
According to reports, Spurs had to fend off interest from around 60 clubs across Europe to secure Melia’s services, and Tottenham fans will be eagerly waiting to see what he can do in a Lilywhite shirt.
It was reported a few months ago that Tottenham have put Melia in a tailored conditioning programme to prepare him for the intensity of the Premier League.
The youngster would likely be eased into life at the North London club and would likely begin with the U21s, but the Lilywhites will be hopeful they have another young gem on their hands.
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