After the departure of Davinson Sanchez to Galatasaray, Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou is set to put faith in 18-year-old defender Ashley Phillips.
Phillips joined the club this summer from Championship side Blackburn Rovers, with boss Postecoglou ready to utilise the youngster as cover alongside Ben Davies until January at least.
Even though Phillips has played regularly for Spurs’ Under-21 side, he has been training frequently with the first team.
He’s said to be highly regarded at the club, with the England U19 international potentially forced to play right centre-back if Cristian Romero sustains an injury unless Postecoglou delivers Dier back from the sidelines.
Big responsibility on young shoulders
Although a big responsibility should he be called upon, it is a huge opportunity for Phillips to showcase the talent that he possesses.
The ‘talented‘ defender may have only featured eight times for Blackburn in the Championship last campaign, but despite his lack of minutes he impressed hence the deal to join Tottenham on a permanent basis.
Any injury or suspension for Cristian Romero or new signing Micky van de Ven could cause Tottenham a real problem, with 18-year-old Phillips being lined up for potential Premier League minutes.
We may see Ben Davies utilised as a centre-back before Phillips features for the first-team, but selling Sanchez with no replacement leaves Phillips in line for a much bigger role than he would’ve anticipated.
Phillips was loved by Blackburn supporters and it looks as though Spurs boss Postecoglou agrees, with the teenager making real strides early on in his career at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
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