One to watch for Tottenham Hotspur next season – could be the next big academy product

Providing two assists in the 5-4 victory over Leicester City on the final day of the 2017-18 Premier League season, Kyle Walker-Peters displayed exactly why he is so highly thought of at Tottenham Hotspur.

The announcement of the youngster’s new contract may have come in the immediate aftermath of arguably his most notable senior performance to date, but in fact it is a reflection of the steady progress he has been making across a number of years.

And with last summer’s big-money acquisition Serge Aurier flattering to deceive in his first full campaign in North London, there is certainly a chance for Walker-Peters to stake a real claim for more consistent inclusion next term.

Whilst famed for his willingness to bring youth players into first-team contention, manager Mauricio Pochettino has bided his time with the full-back and only handed him his competitive debut in the opening-day win over Newcastle United back in August.

Sky Sports named the 21-year-old as their man-of-the-match, but he would go on to make just two more appearances in 2017, playing the full 90 minutes of a League Cup win over Barnsley and enjoying a late cameo in a 4-0 Premier League triumph at Huddersfield Town.

The FA Cup offered Walker-Peters a chance to showcase his abilities and he seized it with both hands, playing a part in rounds three and four before scoring in the 6-1 fifth-round replay victory against Rochdale at a snowy Wembley.

The local boy is now at an age where he needs to be playing regularly and that could mean a loan move to the Championship or lower reaches of the Premier League in 2018-19.

However, if Pochettino decides to dispense with the unreliable Aurier over the coming months, he has a player with bags of ability waiting in the wings.

In either case, Walker-Peters is certainly one to keep an eye on next season.