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Thomas Frank has reacted to giving Luca Williams-Barnett his senior debut for Tottenham Hotspur in their 3-0 win over Doncaster Rovers.
The 16-year-old attacking midfielder had been impressing for the U21s at the start of the season, continuing from where he left off for the U18s last term.
Williams-Barnett netted a 39-minute hat-trick against Leicester’s U21s on Friday, and there was a major hint ahead of the clash against Doncaster that the teenager would be involved in the matchday squad.
Williams-Barnett was left out of the U21s clash at Plymouth Argyle on Tuesday, which many saw as confirmation that the youngster was in line to be involved in the Carabao Cup third-round clash.
Thomas Frank is delighted to give Luca Williams-Barnett his senior debut
The attacker did make his senior bow for the Lilywhites against Doncaster, replacing Mathys Tel in the 87th minute.
While the teenager may have only got a few minutes under his belt, there is no doubt that he would have been over the moon, and Frank admitted that he was delighted to be the manager to give the Spurs academy starlet his first minutes.
When asked about Williams-Barnett’s debut, the Tottenham boss said (via Football.London): “Yeah, very happy with that. I think it’s always a pleasure to be part of a young player’s debut. So, yeah, happy with that.”
When asked about the trend across football of seeing players break into the side at a younger age, the Tottenham boss responded: “Yeah, I think that definitely over the last many years the focus on the talent development and academies across the world is so big. So the talent pool is bigger. There are these talents coming through that are younger and younger.
“But one thing is the debut when you’re 16. The next step, and much more important, is how Luca or other players take those steps forward. It’s very tough to keep going and then get into the first team as a really regular player. But the first step is very important.”
Why the Carabao Cup is crucial for squad morale this season
Last season, Ange Postecoglou could afford to give minutes to youngsters and squad players at Spurs in the league phase of the Europa League.
However, there is less room to rotate in the Champions League, which is why the cup competitions have become crucial for Thomas Frank this season.
The club’s young players and even the likes of Mathys Tel and Antonin Kinsky need minutes, and the Carabao Cup affords Frank an opportunity to play them and keep them happy.
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