Malachi Hardy's name has become a familiar sight in the Tottenham squad during a moment of emergency in central defence.
Only 16 years old and born a fortnight after Spurs last won a major trophy, his progress was accelerated by injuries to Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Radu Dragusin and Ben Davies.
He has been on the bench to savor Ibrox's Europa League hostility against Rangers, the thrilling Carabao Cup quarter-final victory against Manchester United, the incredible 4-0 win at Manchester City and the defeat in the North London derby at Arsenal.
He was among six teenagers named among Everton's substitutes and is likely to have to make up the numbers again as Ange Postecoglou gathers as many fit players as possible for a trip to Germany to face Hoffenheim in the Europa League on Thursday.
Hardy, however, is not there by chance. He has impressed Postecoglou and his staff with his natural ability and temperament while training regularly with the first team and has been in the matchday squad on eight occasions over the last two months, including in some of the biggest games of the season.
Tottenham hope the experience will serve them well because Hardy has been identified as one of the emerging gems within the academy as manager Johan Lange attempts to shift the club's focus towards recruiting and developing young talent.
Hardy has impressed at all youth levels and has been regarded as a future leader.
Born in Watford, Hardy joined the club at the age of eight and, after returning from central midfield, is considered among Europe's best central defenders in his year group.
Right-footed, he has composure in possession, passes the ball well and is aggressive in the challenge. Standing at 6ft 3in, he has an imposing stature with aerial strength and excellent recovery speed, and the ability to read and understand the game despite his tender age. All these qualities adapt perfectly to modern fashions and Postecoglou's football style.
His leadership abilities have also been highlighted as captain of the England Under 17 team.
Of course, there's a lot of work left to do if you want to transform this into a career at the top. Central midfielders tend to mature a little more slowly than forward players. They have a trade to acquire and the Premier League is a relentless learning environment.
Coaches want a solid defensive base and are reluctant to throw young players into the heart of the defense for 10 minutes at the end of a match, whereas they will be less concerned about sending a young, talented striker.
The captain of the England under-17 team has been a regular on the Spurs bench this season.
There is therefore much to negotiate for a first-year student who cannot sign professional terms until he turns 17 in March, but Hardy's rapid progress this season has convinced Tottenham's coaching staff that he could provide emergency cover. while they sent the 19-year-old players. -Old Alfie Dorrington is on loan at Aberdeen to gain experience.
And he could benefit from being closer to the first team and getting advice from the senior centre-halves.
“I want to learn from those players and how they play,” Hardy said in a brief interview on the December matchday show. “I like how they are so calm with the ball but also aggressive in their defense.”
Hardy nears senior debut as Ange Postecoglou battles defensive injury crisis
Tottenham under Lange have made a conscious decision to invest in youth. Just look at the ages of the players signed this season: 18, 18, 16, 20, 18, 21 and Dominic Solanke, 27 years old. It is one of the reasons why the club continues to show patience and resist any temptation to sack Postecoglou, whose 20-man squad at Everton included eight teenagers in total.
Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall, both 18, started. Between them they have played 51 games this season, with a dozen starts in the Premier League. Mikey Moore, 17, came on as a second-half substitute to make his tenth appearance of the season.
It all adds up to a notable change from last season, when Postecoglou entrusted just five minutes (remarkably spread over six appearances) of Premier League action to teenagers, putting Spurs firmly at the bottom of the 20 clubs. This season, by virtue of that cultural shift and, of course, the injury crisis, the Spurs are second with 1,532 minutes given to under-20s.
Lucas Bergvall (centre) and Antonin Kinsky (right) are part of a new management for Spurs
Postecoglou likes to have young minds to mold and has a style that demands fresh legs and open, impressionable minds to embrace it. A club that struggled to recruit young players under Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte, who prefer veterans, now ranks sixth among 98 teams in Europe's top five leagues in minutes given to teenagers in all competitions. this season.
Gray, Bergvall and Moore are the shining stars and would have been involved regardless of the injury crisis that has gripped the club, but there are others breaking through too.
Yang Min-hyeok, an 18-year-old winger from Gangwon in South Korea, arrived in December and is being integrated. Will Lankshear, a 19-year-old center forward, has played in the Europa League and Postecoglou has mentioned his desire to see him on loan.
Luka Vuskovic (right) will join the youth revolution when he joins in the summer
Luka Vuskovic, a 17-year-old central defender who will join Spurs from Hajduk Split in the summer, has excelled on loan at Westerlo in Belgium this season. Damola Ajayi, a 19-year-old striker, and Callum Olusesi, a 17-year-old midfielder, were on the Everton bench.
Hardy is the youngest of all. His progress has accelerated, but that is because he is held in such high regard. He is firmly identified as another of the young players who can save Spurs millions in the transfer market in the coming years.