The kids are all right, but not all of them will make it. Every year Tottenham Hotspur culls the herd of the U23s and under, letting some kids go so that they can establish themselves at another club, and to make room for the new crop of first year academy players.
Today, Tottenham announced the departure of 10 youth players from the existing setup.
We can confirm the departures of ten players from our Academy following the conclusion of the 2025/26 season.
Under-21s players Pele Arganese-McDermott, Tyrell Ashcroft, Leo Black, Dante Cassanova, Matthew Craig and Calum Logan have left the club.
From our Under-18s, we can confirm the departures of Jamel Beggs, Samal Bangura, Leon Myrtaj and Elijah Upson.
Thank you to all departing players and their families for their contributions to the club and all the best for the future.
Out of that list, the only one I’m really disappointed about is Dante Cassanova, not because I thought he would be a future superstar, but because he had probably the best name out of anyone in the academy setup. Dante Cassanova? Come on! That name rules and I’m now sad that I’ll never have the opportunity to purchase a Cassanova Spurs shirt.
There are a few recognizable names from the U21s, but the U18 departures are, I confess, almost complete unknowns to me.
Getting cut from a club’s academy setup is part of football and doesn’t at all mean that these kids are cut adrift. Many will land with other clubs, either major academy setups or playing roles with clubs down the pyramid, even into non-league. There are numerous examples of players who were cut from big club academies who ended up having solid, if not top level, football careers. A lot of them will land on their feet. Others may re-evaluate their place in the game and move on to other endeavors.
We may not have a heart-throb like Dante Cassanova in the academy anytime soon, though, RIP.
