Oscar Sandiford has signed his first professional contract with Tottenham, a reward for a defender who has excelled for the Under-18s since the start of last season despite only going full-time as a scholar this summer.
Sandiford joined the Spurs academy from Crystal Palace at the age of 14. He is a boyhood Spurs fan, so this one will mean a little more than most.
It is the second first professional deal at Tottenham in the space of a few days, after 18-year-old goalkeeper Sophie Jackson turned pro with Spurs Women.
Who is Oscar Sandiford?
He is usually a right-back, but he can also play at centre-half, which is exactly the kind of flexibility academy coaches love in a young defender.
He has already tasted silverware in a Spurs shirt. Sandiford started the Under-16 Premier League Cup final against Fulham at Craven Cottage last term, a wild game in which Spurs came back from 3-1 down to win 5-3 after extra time in front of nearly 1,700 fans. Fulham’s goals all came from a Kayden Sessegnon hat-trick, and Spurs still found a way.
His most recent outing came last Saturday, when he was sent on in the 87th minute as the Under-18s won 3-1 at AFC Bournemouth thanks to an Oliver Boast brace and a goal from substitute Armend Muslika.
An England captain already
Sandiford’s progress is not only being noticed at Hotspur Way. He has represented England at Under-17 and Under-18 level, and he captained the Under-18s to a 2-1 win over South Korea earlier this season.
Wearing the armband for your country at that age says plenty about how coaches see him, both as a player and as a voice in the dressing room.
Is there a pathway for Spurs youngsters under De Zerbi?
Right now, the answer looks like yes. Roberto De Zerbi handed Luca Williams-Barnett his Premier League debut against Crystal Palace last weekend, and the head coach has made clear he wants to handle the 18-year-old carefully, as we covered in our Luca Williams-Barnett scouting report.
That will not have gone unnoticed by players like Sandiford. A first professional contract is only the first step, and the jump from the Under-18s to the first team is still a huge one, but seeing a teammate from the academy get minutes in the league shows the door is open.
Verdict: a smart deal for a versatile defender
Tying down a right-back who can also play centre-half, who has already captained his country’s Under-18s and who has won a cup final in a Spurs shirt, is a sensible piece of business. Sandiford only went full-time this summer, so there is no rush.
The next step is minutes at Under-21 level. If he keeps progressing at the rate he has since arriving from Palace, he will be a name Spurs fans hear a lot more of.
