Tottenham expert issues emphatic Jermain Defoe claim after source’s reveal
Alan Hutton has claimed it is “really important” to have former players as part of the coaching staff at clubs ahead of Jermain Defoe’s potential Tottenham appointment.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the ex-Spurs defender said Defoe will be able to “mentor” younger players coming up through the ranks.
Sources told this site (1 August) that Yaya Toure will be managing the Lilywhites’ under-16 side with Defoe taking up a role as a general striking coach.
Both Defoe and Toure are set to join the club’s academy on a permanent basis.
On 1 December, Sky Sports reported Toure was working alongside Tottenham’s academy coaches Dean Rastrick and Chris Powell on an informal basis to gain experience
When asked how important it is to have former players, like Defoe, working on a team’s coaching staff, Hutton told Football Insider: “I think it’s really important.
“Especially for himself and the club that he knows inside and out. He was there for a number of years. I think it’s someone you can lean on because he’s got so much experience at such a high level so you can always be learning.
“This is the next stage in his career, imagine going in and learning under Antonio Conte for your first gig. I think it’s good for both parties.
“You look at the other teams that are doing it, Jay Spearing went into Liverpool, Tom Huddlestone went to Manchester United. I think it’s good to have ex-players round about who have been there, seen it and done it.
“They know the pitfalls, all the traps, especially for the young boys coming through they can mentor them a bit. I think it works both ways.“
In other news, Gabriel Agbonlahor has suggested Djed Spence may leave Tottenham soon after major new development.