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Tottenham youngsters Harry Winks and Josh Onomah are set to be given first-team chances against Besiktas tomorrow night.
With both sides safely through to the knockout stages of the Europa League, Spurs head coach Mauricio Pochettino has vowed to rest some of his key men and both Winks, 18, and Onomah, 17, have been named in the travelling squad for Istanbul.
Winks, a midfielder, made his debut in the recent win over Partizan Belgrade at White Hart Lane last month, while Onomah, who also plays in midfield, has yet to make an appearance for the senior side.
Winks is a member of Tottenham’s development squad while Onomah is a second-year academy product. Both are considered two of the most promising members of a system that is starting to bear fruit.
Ryan Mason, Nabil Bentaleb and Harry Kane all came through the academy are all are first-choice players in the Premier League. Andros Townsend and Danny Rose also developed in Spurs’ junior teams.
Pochettino keeps a close eye on matters outside the first team and believes Spurs can emulate his former club Southampton in the way they identify and nurture young talent.
Earlier this season, Pochettino said: “Tottenham have spent a lot of money on the academy and creating a magnificent training ground and now we need to get the benefit from that. We have to create the structure to provide the chance to play in the first team.
“We have great talent in the academy, the staff are unbelievable people who work very hard and who have a passion for football. We need to give the vehicle for these young players to arrive in the first team."
“In football, there is always the question of balance. That is important. We need to find the balance between buying players, and promoting those from the academy who deserve to play in the first team.”
Kyle Walker is back in the squad after recovering from an abdominal injury which has kept him out since March.
