‘Tottenham fans dreaming of new Harry Kane after stunning development’
Tottenham fans will have been left dreaming of a new Harry Kane after the “goal of a lifetime” from a player who could be set to follow in his footsteps.
Man City faced off against Leyton Orient in the FA Cup fourth round on Saturday afternoon (8 February), in a match they were expected to win comfortably.
However, Spurs loanee Jamie Donley decided to flip the script, when he hit a truly audacious shot in the 16th minute.
Nico Gonzalez was signed from Porto on Deadline Day, and he lost the ball to young Donley, who strode into the Sky Blues half, and in a moment similar to David Beckham’s famous goal against Wimbledon, hit a stunner over the City goalkeeper to give the O’s a shock lead.
Whilst he was initially awarded the goal, the FA then decided that it had come off goalkeeper Stefan Ortega, but there was no doubt that Donley deserved the plaudits.
The goal will have been just as exciting to Spurs fans as it was to Leyton Orient’s, as Donley’s briliance will have reminded them of a certain Harry Kane, who also spent a season on loan with the O’s before becoming a world-class striker.
Speaking on BBC One, former Arsenal defender, Keown, said (12.31): “Well its an absolutely remarkable goal, to shoot from there, to even think about it, its the goal of a lifetime.
“We know he’s scored five goals in 11 recent matches on-loan from Spurs, wow, comes off the bar, Ortega can do nothing about it.
“What a cup tie we have here, inspired.”
Jamie Donley could follow Leyton Orient path to success at Tottenham
Donley has proven himself to be a remarkably versatile player, having played at right-wing, central-midfield and even left-back during his spells with Spurs and Leyton Orient.
However, when played in his most comfortable role as a number 10 behind the striker, the England Under-19s international can wreak havoc.
Donley took a while to get going with the O’s but he has now established himself as one of the better players in League One this season.
The 20-year-old has scored five goals in his last 11 games, and despite not being awarded a goal for his effort against City, the confidence to hit the shot speaks volume’s to the assuredness that Donley has in his own abilities.
Donley’s fine form will remind many of Kane’s spell in East London, when he scored five goals for the O’s.
Kane would then go on to spend spells at Millwall, Norwich and Leicester, before being given the opportunity at Spurs under Tim Sherwood.
Many will hope that the path set by Kane, from Leyton Orient loanee to Tottenham superstar, can be repeated by Donley, and whilst it seems a stretch at the moment, the young attacking midfielder is full of promise.
Tottenham are suffering from an injury crisis this season, and it is somewhat of a surprise that they have chosen to let Donley stay at Leyton Orient, instead of recalling him in January.
Ange Postecoglou is currently facing the sack, and a player as versatile and as talented as Donley will undoubtedly be in his first-team plans next season, if he remains in the job.
Tottenham fans will enjoy seeing their young star scare Man City
Fans of Man City have watched their team go from the best in the world, to barely scraping through the Champions League league stage, struggling to break into the top four in the league, and now only just surviving in FA Cup against League One opposition, after goals from Abdukodir Khusanov and Kevin de Bruyne rescued them.
Myles Lewis-Skelly mocked Erling Haaland with his celebration in a humiliating 5-1 win for Arsenal, and City are struggling with the weight of expectations this season.
Spurs fans have been suffering a miserable season of their own, but seeing Donley score against their rivals gave them a brief moment to enjoy themselves.