Why young legs are Ange-ball’s future: Tottenham have already given playing time to their new 18-year-old duo… and there are plenty more talents coming through

Amid all the commotion surrounding Jamie Vardy’s return to the Premier League and the reminder of what he can still do at the age of 37, there was also a glimpse of Tottenham’s future.

Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall were taken off the bench in the 78th minute of Monday’s 1-1 draw at Leicester City. Both are 18 — born 38 days apart and just a few weeks old when Martin Jol’s Spurs had that infamous lasagne tussle.

Their debut marks a shift in emphasis at a club that gave teenage players fewer playing minutes than any other club in the Premier League last season, according to figures from data site Transfermarkt.

Jamie Donley, Dane Scarlett and Mikey Moore made six appearances as substitutes, five in the 89th minute and once, Moore’s debut against Manchester City in May, in the 88th minute.

That put them bottom of the table, with Manchester United leading the way, with Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho dominating, and Brighton, who fielded eight different teenagers.

Tottenham handed debuts to teenagers Lucas Bergvall, left, and Archie Gray, right, on Monday

Their debut marked a change in emphasis at Tottenham under Ange Postecoglou

Tottenham finished the match tied with Leicester, with the average age of the team being under 24

The numbers are misleading because Spurs are not an old team, with their starting line-up under Ange Postecoglou having an average age of under 26, the fourth youngest in the league.

But the team that finished the game on Monday night had an average age of less than 24 and that was without Wilson Odobert. The 19-year-old winger, who signed a £35million deal with Burnley on Friday, was awaiting approval for his work permit.

It should be in place before they face Everton on Saturday. Moore, who turned 17 this month, is expected to feature increasingly this season. Spurs are young and are getting younger under Postecoglou, who understands the development after years of managing Australia’s youth teams.

He is a motivational leader who inspires people and the idea is that younger players will embrace his style of football sooner than players who already have a set habit.

Postecoglou inherited a squad that was built to meet the needs of Antonio Conte and José Mourinho. Not only do they like to play on the counter, but they also trust older, more mature players.

Conte’s transfer demands started with experienced winger Ivan Perisic and did not include Djed Spence, whom Spurs had already signed from Middlesbrough.

The reluctance to develop young players has left its mark, with some leaving in search of an easier route into the first team. Sam Amo-Ameyaw and Jayden Meghoma left for Southampton in 2022, aged 16. Amo-Ameyaw, a substitute against Newcastle on Saturday, became the youngest to make a Premier League appearance for Saints with a debut at 17, in the final game of his first season there. Others were deterred from joining in the first place.

Tottenham have also signed 19-year-old winger Wilson Odobert from Burnley for £35million

Mikey Moore, who turned 17 this month, is expected to appear more often this season

Tottenham’s reputation for youth development has declined since Tim Sherwood, right, introduced promising academy graduates such as Harry Kane, left, into the first-team line-up

Both Mourinho and Conte would argue, with some justification, that the young players they had at their disposal during their time at Tottenham simply weren’t good enough. Mourinho gave Scarlett and Troy Parrott debuts, but neither was ready.

Tottenham’s reputation for youth development has indeed declined since Tim Sherwood took charge in 2013-14, when he brought promising youngsters from the academy into the team, including Harry Kane, Andros Townsend and Nabil Bentaleb.

Tottenham’s moves to address the problem began with a reshuffle of academy staff before Postecoglou arrived. One of the key changes was a willingness to compete more aggressively for talent.

Barcelona beating Bergvall for £8.5m from Djurgardens in February was a statement of intent. They then snapped up Brentford’s move for Gray from Leeds for £30m and met the asking price for Odobert. Despite their youth, all three come with first-team experience.

Spurs haven’t stopped there. Luka Vuskovic, 17, is a highly rated defender signed from Hajduk Split, joining after spending the season on loan at Westerlo in Belgium. South Korean winger Yang Min-hyuk, 18, joins from Gangwon in January.

Spurs have been aggressive in their pursuit of young talent and have beaten Barcelona to the battle for Bergvall

Highly rated defender Luka Vuskovic will join Belgium next summer after a season on loan

South Korean winger Yang Min-hyuk, centre, will move from Gangwon to Tottenham in January

Postecoglou wants young minds to adapt to his football, but his priority is to improve Spurs

But it all depends on Postecoglou and the minutes he can give them while being judged on results. He loves to shape young minds. His relentless attacking style suits the energy of young bodies.

But his priorities are not to improve young players. The pressure will be on him to improve on last season’s fifth-place finish and dominating the draw at Leicester after an hour was a disappointing start.

President Daniel Levy will have his eyes on the Champions League places. And of course the quest to end the dreadful record of one meagre trophy this century.

Whether that pressure can easily be combined with improving these young players remains to be seen.