Ange Postecoglou has reportedly been really impressed with Tottenham Hotspur youngster Ashley Phillips.
That’s according to Football.London, with the outlet claiming there is a ‘wariness’ of putting too much pressure on Phillips at this stage of his career.
Postecoglou has made plenty of changes to his current Spurs squad after taking over back in June.
The Aussie boss has re-shaped the side in his image and brought in a host of talented younger players, including the likes of Micky van de Ven.
Of course, Tottenham only managed to bring in one senior centre-back over the summer, with Van de Ven making the switch from Wolfsburg.
Ashley Phillips was also snapped up from Blackburn Rovers and was expected to be one for the future of Tottenham.
Yet, the 18-year-old found himself on the bench at Turf Moor ahead of Eric Dier and it seems he could play a part in Postecoglou’s plans this season.
Postecoglou impressed with Phillips
Football.London reports that Postecoglou has been impressed by Phillips.
But the outlet notes there is a ‘wariness’ over placing too much pressure on the youngster.
Indeed, Phillips had only made eight appearances for Blackburn in the Championship before joining Spurs.
It has come as a slight surprise to see Phillips move above the likes of Dier in the pecking order at Spurs.
Of course, Tottenham also offloaded Davinson Sanchez and Japhet Tanganga over the summer, which leaves Phillips as their main back-up option.
Nevertheless, it’s refreshing to see Postecoglou giving younger players an opportunity and Phillips seems to have a bright future ahead of him in football.
Spurs also have another talented English centre-back in Alfie Dorrington, who has impressed at youth level.
While it may be a cause for concern that Spurs lack experienced back-up at centre-back for the time being, it’s clear that Phillips has impressed his new boss.
And given the start Postecoglou has made at Tottenham, his decision to offload more experienced options and keep Phillips around should be trusted.