ACADEMY

MIXED FORTUNES IN FRIENDLIES Dante Cassanova scored twice, including a superb strike from outside the box, as our Under-18s defeated Coventry City 4-0 in a pre-season friendly at Hotspur Way last Saturday (7 August).

Two goals on either side of half-time secured the win, captain Cassanova adding to Renaldo Torraj’s opener with a fine effort and then completing the scoring after Khalon Haysman had netted our third.

Previously, on 24 July, the squad rounded off a week-long training camp on the east coast with a friendly at Ipswich Town.

After five days of training and off-field activities in Norfolk, including cookery classes and a trip to the coast for a dip in the sea, the players headed down to Suffolk to take on a tough Tractor Boys outfit, eventually going down 3-2 after goals from Jamie Donley (pen) and Rio Kyerematen. The trip took the place of our usual Under-18 pre-season tour to Belgium, which was not possible this year because of the pandemic.

COACHING UPDATE

Following MattTaylor's departure to become the new Head Coach of Walsall, we recently confirmed our Under-18s coaching structure ahead of the new campaign.

Ryan Mason has returned to the Academy as Head of Player Development after a spell as the Club’s Interim Head Coach at the end of last season. As part of his overall remit in the Under-17 to Under-23 age category, he will have a significant involvement across our Under-18s coaching program alongside our new Under-18s Coach, Stuart Lewis.