Spurs: Ange could unleash Hotspur Way academy star as Heung-min Son heir

The Lilywhites could soon unearth an academy starlet to replace Heung-min Son.

Tottenham Hotspur once again boast a side that fans can be proud of, with Ange Postecoglou’s impact on the squad rapid and revolutionary.

Few could possibly have expected the Australian to enjoy such instant success, but with each passing gameweek the Lilywhites continue to outdo themselves with battling displays wrapped in gorgeous free-flowing football, and the confidence and swagger to keep remaining unbeaten.

They are now one of just two Premier League sides to have avoided defeat in the league after seven games, alongside rivals Arsenal, and with their most recent results against Liverpool and the Gunners, they are overcoming obstacles that few gave them any chance of conquering.

A large boost received that has aided in the integration was the transfers, as the north London outfit would act incisively to tie up deals for James Maddison and Micky van de Ven. Both have taken little time to adapt, with the bulk of their creativity surging through the former Leicester City man, and a rock-solid backline built from the foundations of the Dutchman and Cristian Romero.

Unsurprisingly, fans cannot wait for the next window, should they keep improving with such accuracy to solidify their good form.

However, perhaps instead of rushing to blow their precious transfer funds, instead the former Celtic boss could seek to properly investigate his blooming academy, picking out the talents ready to step up when the opportunity beckons.

Although he shows no sign of slowing down with age, eventually a successor to Heung-min Son must be found. Fortunately, in Oliver Irow, they may already have the perfect heir set to cost them nothing.

Who is Oliver Irow?

Having moved to Spurs at the under-8s level, it has been a lengthy journey for the teenage attacker to grow into one of their brightest young stars pushing for a first-team birth.

However, his short career has been littered with goals and assists, wrapped in a dynamic little package capable of hurting any defences.

A tricky winger with an eye for goal, his versatility lends to the comparisons with the South Korean, who has enjoyed such early-season form whilst deputising as a central striker. Meanwhile, whilst the 17-year-old in question may have only featured three times in the U18s Premier League this term, he too has featured both up front and off the right wing.

Last campaign marked a standout for the trickster, who began to establish himself as a mainstay for the U18s despite being just 16 years old. His fine tally of nine goals in 17 appearances emphasises his importance, whilst further drawing comparisons to the former Bayer Leverkusen whiz, as a couple of goalscoring wingers.

Having already opened his account for the new term too, it promises to be yet another fine year for Irow, who will have aspirations of breaking into the U21 setup next.

Such consistently threatening form was always bound to draw interest, with Spurs expert John Wenham keen to praise the teenager whilst speaking to Football Insider back in 2021. He would note: “Irow is an Essex-born forward who has been doing very well for the Under 16s. He should be one of the main forwards in that group along with a guy I have spoken about before, Samuel Amo-Ameyaw.

“It seems like we have another very good crop of players coming through at that age level.

“Irow seems a very bright talent and he’s one I think fans should keep a close eye on.”

Should he grow to enjoy half as successful a career as Son, he would certainly be worth having around Hotspur Way.

However, the 31-year-old certainly is set to live a huge legacy in N17, which few will likely live up to.

How good is Heung-min Son?

Seemingly a rather unassuming 2015 acquisition, as Mauricio Pochettino began slowly crafting a squad worthy of pushing for elite honours, bringing a relatively unknown wide man from Germany left fans with little expectations for his future.

However, in a similar vein as Postecoglou, few could have expected him to perform as admirably as he has done.

Enduring a quiet first season, that would mark the last before exploding, having hit double figures in the Premier League every term since that debut one.

Featuring predominantly on the wing, Son has scored an astronomical 151 times whilst assisting a further 80, made even more special given those figures come across 380 appearances for Spurs.

However, as is the case with any player to have joined post-2008, he is without any silverware to show for his heroic efforts.

This is made even more ludicrous given the claims of pundit Gabby Agbonlahor from 2022, who suggested the wide man should have won the division’s Player of the Season over Kevin De Bruyne: “He’s playing in a team that’s not as good as Manchester City and Liverpool, so it’s harder for him to get chances. So, I just think what Son has done this season, the goals he’s scored – left-foot screamers, right-foot screamers, he can score any sort of goal.

The former Aston Villa striker continued: “I think Son maybe would have been on 25 or 30 goals this season because his finishing is one of the best in the Premier League. He walks into any Premier League team and any team in the world. Son he’s outstanding and Spurs are lucky to have him.”

Having since been made captain by Postecoglou, and with a fine tally of six goals from just seven league matches, it is poised to be one of Son’s best yet, made even more impressive given the summer exit of his partner in crime Harry Kane.

The 111-cap superstar has stepped up to the challenge and assumed the role of their leader both in terms of mentality and goalscoring. Again, few will ever live up to the legacy he is set to leave.

However, with that same versatility and an ever-growing skillset that already boasts plenty of goals, Irow has the foundation to one day emulate Son within Spurs’ first team, thus easing the blow of his potential exit.