‘Completely different’… On-loan Tottenham 20-year-old is unlike anything manager has seen before

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Tottenham Hotspur youngster Matthew Craig has been hailed by Doncaster Rovers boss Grant McCann after a recent victory.

A number of Tottenham’s young prospects have been sent out on loan by Ange Postecoglou this season in a bid to earn experience in the men’s game.

And one of the players who is enjoying his time away from Hotspur Way is Craig who is currently playing in League Two with Doncaster Rovers.

Matthew Craig earns McCann’s praise

The young midfielder made the move to Doncaster in the January window on a short-term loan basis and has since picked up six appearances in League Two.

In his last three games he has been able to provide a goal and an assist for manager McCann as they look to pull themselves away from the relegation spots.

Following their latest victory on the weekend against AFC Wimbledon, McCann spoke to the local media about how impressed he has been with Craig: “He’s getting better all the time and is getting used to the demands of this level. Maybe the first couple of games took him by surprise at how physical it was,” he said.

“But we know he’s physical and he’s tried to adapt his game a little bit to be in that sort of position he’s in. There will be contact and he will have to find his way out of tight little spaces. He’s a great kid. Sometimes you take young boys on loan from the Premier League and they don’t really seem to want to [learn]. I’ve seen it over the years when some players come in and think they’re better and there’s no coaching them.

“Matty is completely different. He wants to come in and learn and he’ll have a top career, there’s no doubt about it.”

Tottenham’s fountain of youth

Postecoglou’s arrival at Spurs has coincided with a number of talents impressing massively across the academy.

The first-team are challenging for a spot in next season’s Champions League and the U21s side are sitting at the top of the Premier League 2 table.

Players such as Will Lankshear and Jamie Donley are impressing massively under manager Wayne Burnett.

On the weekend, Lankshear scored a hat-trick at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, whilst Donley provided four assists in a 6-0 win over Fleetwood Town.

However, despite their impressive displays, it is proving incredibly hard for Postecoglou to integrate them into the first-team with his own players operating at such a high level.

Ahead of the summer, it may leave the Australian with some decisions to make as there could be the potential for these youngsters to start demanding first-team action.