WINNING WITH KIDS

One of my big hopes for the forth coming season is that we start seeing more of the young guns. Tottenham have quietly been buying up some of the country's finest young talent for several years now and while it is only natural that some are not going to make it, it would be bloody criminal if none of them did. It looks to me like we have enough quality at this level now to certainly start seriously thinking about giving these kids a run out.

There seem to be a handful who are knocking on the door, and perhaps a few more who are merely waiting in the corridor. Livermore, Rose, Bostock and Dervite look certs to be warming the bench on a regular basis this year and if even one of those lot stakes a claim for the first team I'd be delighted. Parret and Archibald-Henville are probably not so certain to wow us just yet, and I can see them joining Obika and Taraabt by going out on loan.

Then we have Bale and Naughton - they will be getting more than a sniff by the looks of it, maybe Gio, assuming we don't sell him. Naughton seems every bit as good as Blades fans were telling us, and I would really love for Bale to finally live up to his billing as every time I the monkey boy play I can't help raving about him to whoever is listening (but perhaps that's mostly to do with my irrational hatred of BAE). Dos Santos is already adored by large numbers of the faithful. They're all good players and I wish them well, but they're not proper academy boys are they?

There's nothing we love more at Spurs than a local lad done good. That's why we refuse to send Ledder's to the knackers yard, that's why the whole sorry Sol Campbell affair still hurts so much, and that my friends is why I'm so excited by the prospect of Jake Livermore.

OK, so I may not have seen enough of him to establish whether he really is all that and a bag of chips, so indulge me if you will. But just the thought of this lad staking his claim by banging in a brace at home against the scum sends shivers down the spine - and who has he got in front of him, Jenas, Huddlestone? He has to fancy his chances.

If all goes well for him, this boy could be future captain material. A few years from now how great would it be to see a product of the academy captain of the club, bossing the midfield, the beating heart of Tottenham Hotspur. A player who would, to coin a phrase, "run through brick walls" for the shirt. The distant strains of "Nice one Cyril, nice one son, nice one Cyril...." drifting over the Park Road... Hmmm, wouldn't it? Oooh, lovely. Jumpers for goalposts and all that... marvellous. Did you know his middle name is Cyril?

I'm sure some of you will tell me I'm over egging his omelette, but one good season and this is the weight of expectation he'll have to deal with - might as well join the party early.