Exclusive: Danny Mills claims Poch does not rate giant Spurs player after official reveal
Danny Mills claims that Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino does not rate promising goalkeeper Alfie Whiteman as first-team quality after bringing Michel Vorm back on a free transfer.
The former Manchester City and England defender, speaking exclusively to Football Insider assistant editor Russell Edge, says that the Dutchman’s return to north London is a clear sign that the Argentine boss is not convinced by those behind Hugo Lloris and Paulo Gazzaniga in the pecking order.
Tottenham confirmed earlier this week that the former Swansea shot-stopper had signed a deal until the end of the season after Hugo Lloris’ serious injury blow, the Dutchman a free agent after his contract at Spurs expired this summer.
With Gazzaniga set to take Lloris’ place in the Frenchman’s absence, Mills says that Spurs re-signing Vorm clearly demonstrates that Pochettino is not convinced by Whiteman’s abilities to step up to the first-team.
Mills told Football Insider: “If they were good enough, it wouldn’t be an issue but Pochettino clearly thinks they’re not good enough or quite ready yet.
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“You’ve got your first-choice keeper who is now out for a significant length of time, what happens if something happened to Gazzaniga? Are you going to play for a kid who’s had no experience for the next six months? That’s a big, big gamble. Absolutely huge.
“You need some experience in that position. You cannot go into the next six months, however long it’s going to be, with a goalkeeper and a young kid who could be playing Champions League football.”
Whiteman, 21, is yet to make his debut for Spurs, although the 6ft 2in giant [Transfermarkt] has appeared on the bench for five first-team games during his fledgeling career at the club.
He has featured at every level of England’s youth sides up to the under-19s and has played regularly for Tottenham’s under-23 side.
In other Tottenham news, Darren Bent has suggested that one senior player could be sold for an £8million loss.