'Massive' - Tottenham youth expert names academy gem who should benefit most from De Zerbi hire

Tottenham Hotspur youngster Jamie Donley has been backed to have an impact on Roberto De Zerbi in the summer.

Donley is currently on loan with Oxford United, but previously spent time with Stoke City, and has notched one goal and two assists in 15 matches.

De Zerbi will be looking to overhaul his squad to get into the best possible position for the new campaign, and that could give the 21-year-old an opportunity.

The Northern Ireland gem has already made an impression on the international stage, scoring the opening goal in his nation’s 1-1 draw with Wales on 31 March.

Tottenham have handed many opportunities to academy starlets in recent years, and Donley should be the next man up.

Donley tipped for chance to impress De Zerbi

Tottenham’s Donley suffered an injury on his Oxford debut, but he has recently bounced back.

John Wenham believes that he could be set for a chance under De Zerbi if he can prove himself with the Yellows, then in pre-season.

Speaking exclusively to Tottenham News, he said: “Jamie Donley, who is at Oxford, I was really pleased to see him get the opening goal from Northern Ireland away to Wales.

“He was starting as a striker, he’s been sort of converted as a number 10 over the last 18 months, but all his years in Tottenham’s academy, he was the best academy striker we had coming through.

“He’s someone I’ve got very, very high hopes for at Spurs, he’s already made four first team appearances under Ange Postecoglou, coming on away at Man City and that kind of thing, but I think his reading and vision of the game is already at a Premier League level.

“This pre-season under De Zerbi, coming as a new manager, massive for him, but he needs to finish this season strong with Oxford, because unfortunately, the Stoke manager at the start of the season wasted six months of his development, promising him that he’d be a starting player, and meant he turned down multiple other championship clubs to go to Stoke, and then they let him down massively.”

Why Tottenham fans should share Wenham’s high hopes for Donley

The way that Donley took his goal against the Dragons will be encouraging for Spurs supporters, as he showed the composure and wherewithal that is needed to thrive at the top level.

His initial header hit the post, before the Spurs academy graduate chested it down and finished calmly to put his country ahead.

Unfortunately, they could not hold on for the victory, but it proved that Donley could be a future star for the Lilywhites.

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