Dean Rastrick's departure on Tuesday as Tottenham Hotspur's academy manager marks another big change to the club's youth set-up.
The club announced that Rastrick would be leaving the club after 13 years in order to "pursue new challenges and opportunities". The 46-year-old had worked his way up through the set-up over the years before taking overall responsibility for the entire academy programme in the summer of 2020 following John McDermott's exit to The FA.
The popular Rastrick played his part in overseeing the development of numerous academy players who went on to make their Tottenham and Premier League debuts, won international caps or became professionals elsewhere in the game and across the world, as well as helping develop coaches who have gone on to work and manage at the highest levels.
It is somewhat fitting that in Rastrick's final season the club's Under-18 and Under-17s both won their respective Premier League Cups at least for the image of the academy to those outside, while those within youth set-ups across the game measure development at that level in other ways.
Rastrick was well-regarded within Tottenham's academy and throughout the club and the news of his departure came as a surprise to many as it emerged in the days before the official announcement. With Rastrick eventually following in the footsteps of McDermott out of the door so Spurs have lost two men with a combined experience of 28 years of bringing young players through to the first team at the north London club.
Tottenham have also lost others this season in the youth recruitment department who were responsible for bringing in talent aged between 17 and 21 for the academy. Head of emerging talent Chris Perkins made the switch to Arsenal in January and this month emerging talent scout Chris Scudder left the club to take on the role of Wolves' head of London recruitment.
READ MORE: Ange Postecoglou holds Tottenham transfer meeting with Daniel Levy as Ryan Mason future decided
The duo were among those responsible for driving the signing of players such as talented teenage striker Will Lankshear from Sheffield United and Manchester City starlet Herbie James, who will arrive this summer along with the highly-rated Ipswich defender Calum Logan.
A cluttered structure within Fabio Paratici's recruitment revamp meant some crossover between departments with Tottenham chief scout Leonardo Gabbanini bringing in his own youth recruitment staff, which in turn led to the arrival of Jude Soonsup-Bell from Chelsea in January.
While Paratici was not a regular attendee of academy matches, he was at least attempting to drive some change within the youth set-up before he had to step down as managing director of football in April.
The Italian had increased the funding to the academy in an attempt to push it towards other established Premier League clubs and create a backing that matched the facilities at Hotspur Way.
In doing so Paratici broke the strict wage structure which had been something McDermott was believed to have been against for years as he wanted to keep the young players hungrier in their development rather than financially-driven as teenagers.
Paratici also moved to a model of bringing in older academy players from other clubs and looked at the foreign market, with friendlies arranged against sides from other continents in order to spot any potential gems playing in their own backyard.
As well as being able to attract those new arrivals, Spurs have also tied down some of their most talented youngsters to long-term deals, such as Alfie Devine, Dane Scarlett, Jamie Donley and Alfie Dorrington.
Selling the pathway to the first team was difficult under Antonio Conte, who was a believer in experience over youth. The former Chelsea boss is said to have felt that it was the academy coaches' job to develop players to be ready to play Premier League football rather than his job to help that process with minutes in his side.
With Conte and Paratici focused mainly on senior affairs, some within the academy felt this season that the gap between the first team and the youth set-up had never been wider despite the best efforts of the new men in the structure trying to bridge it.
Then there were the Under-21s, who had a difficult season with injuries to key players throughout the first half of the campaign and Wayne Burnett's side ended up being relegated on the final day from Premier League 2 despite losing just three games in 2023.
Conte's era proved somewhat difficult for that development squad as the Under-21s would often lose players at the last minute from their coaching sessions, or sometimes on the morning of youth matches, to take on roles as a near static XI in first team training as the head coach would run through repeated drills with his own players.
Injuries and absences meant that Burnett had to often put out a very young team against others' Under-21s but that will bode well for next season due to the experience many of them gained. The cup-winning likes of Donley, Dorrington, Rio Kyerematen and George Abbott, who made his Premier League debut last month under Ryan Mason, will all be 18 by the end of this summer, with midfielder Tyrese Hall not far behind, and will step up on a more permanent basis into a development squad that is expected to look very different next season with a number of older players departing.
There have been successes among the Paratici changes within the academy staff, including the arrival of ex-Manchester City youth coach Simon Davies as head of coaching methodology. The 49-year-old has made a positive impact within the club with a real hands-on approach to the academy and has been described as an excellent communicator with clear ideas.
Head of football strategy Andy Scoulding, the former Rangers head of scouting, has also made a good impression in a role that lies somewhere in between the academy and first team as he develops a pathway between the two. It is unclear at this stage whether Davies and Scoulding will together absorb elements of Rastrick's role, supported by performance director Gretar Steinsson, or whether a direct replacement will be brought in for the club stalwart.
New chief football officer Scott Munn will be responsible for deciding exactly what happens next, among the many tasks in the Australian's in-tray this summer.
The club stated on Tuesday that they have "recently strengthened our coaching and recruitment departments and will provide further details on our structure and personnel in due course".
The arrival of Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham with a similar style of football and system to that used throughout the academy should help in the process of developing players ready to slot into the first team.
Chairman Daniel Levy said of the Australian's arrival: "Ange brings a positive mentality and a fast, attacking style of play. He has a strong track record of developing players and an understanding of the importance of the link from the academy - everything that is important to our club."
It will all be done though without Rastrick, who will move on to pastures new after so many years within the academy.
"I've had an amazing 13 years at the club and feel privileged for the responsibility and support I have been given throughout my tenure – I am immensely proud of what we have achieved," he said.
"I have been very fortunate to have worked with some incredible staff, people and young players throughout my journey and sit proudly and watch them thrive and flourish, be it here or elsewhere, as elite players, coaches or members of staff. What is also very rewarding has been watching the development of our staff and players and a sense of pride at the journeys they have been on as people, not just footballers.
"At this stage in my career, I feel it is the right time for me to move on and I will always look back at my time at Tottenham Hotspur with great pride and affection."
Both Rastrick and Spurs will now look to the future as the north London club desperately searches for the next Harry Kane.
What do you think of the Postecoglou appointment? Have your say below!
READ NEXT:
