There were very little positives to take from Tottenham Hotspur’s FA Cup fifth round defeat to Middlesbrough on Tuesday, as Antonio Conte ’s side saw their last hopes of winning silverware this season vanish.
Josh Coburn’s extra-time winner sent the Championship side through to the quarter-finals, as Spurs continued their inconsistent form with another lacklustre display.
But it wasn’t a game purely full of negatives for Spurs as, surprisingly, there were still one or two promising performances from players in the side.
And none more so that young full-back Ryan Sessegnon, who was the brightest spark on the pitch for the north Londoners and was fully deserving of the praise he received.
Gary Lineker was so impressed with the 21-year-old that he branded him as one of the ‘most exciting’ youngsters in our game, after becoming a consistent starter in Conte’s side.
Could Ryan Sessegnon become one of England’s best full backs? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
Speaking on the BBC following their live coverage of the game on Tuesday, Lineker was full of praise for Sessegnon and Middlesbrough’s Isaiah Jones, who enjoyed a thrilling battle throughout the game.
He said: “Sessegnon vs Jones, probably two of the most exciting full-backs in our game.
“It’s five games consecutive that he [Sessegnon] has played. It’s good that he is getting a run in the side. Conte obviously has faith in him.”
Sessegnon burst onto the scene at Fulham as a 16-year-old in 2016 and went on to make 120 appearances for the club, scoring 25 goals, during two seasons in the Championship and one in the Premier League.
His performances attracted plenty of interest from top clubs and he eventually signed for Spurs in 2019 as one of the most exciting young talents in the country.
But he has struggled for the same kind of form and consistency in north London as he did at Fulham, but injuries have played their fair share in that.
Six top flight appearances in 2019-20 was followed by a loan spell in the Bundesliga with Hoffenheim last season, before he made his return to the Spurs squad for the current campaign.
And only recently has he featured consistently for the club, filling in for the missing Sergio Reguilon, but he has grasped the opportunity with both hands.
With a consistent run of games down the left flank for the Lilywhites, Sessegnon can push on and rediscover that form that earned him such high credibility during his time at Craven Cottage.
At just 21-years-old, the England under 21 international still has plenty of time to develop and become even more of an exciting player than what he already is.
But he needs regular game time and if he can retain his place in the starting XI for the remainder of the season ahead of Reguilon, both him and Spurs are sure to reap the guaranteed benefits.
