- Mason Melia training with Tottenham first team
- De Zerbi rocked by recent injuries
- Youngster very highly rated
Tottenham could see a new youngster make his senior debut. Roberto De Zerbi has handed Mason Melia a first-team promotion ahead of the Aston Villa game.
Spurs are currently in an injury crisis. The 1-0 defeat to Sunderland was a huge blow for North London. side. In that game, they lost Cristian Romero for the rest of the season. Besides, Mohammed Kudus remains ruled out.
With the recent 1-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers, they gained a small spark and will look to build on that with the addition of Melia.
The 18-year-old arrived at Spurs in January. These crucial matches for survival could be the best time to announce himself to the Tottenham Hotspur faithful.
Melia’s story to Tottenham
According to the Sun, the Irish international moved from St Patrick’s Athletic to Spurs for a fee of around € 4.2 million. This price made him one of the most exciting talents in Irish football. His former coach, Rob Shelley, called him ‘special.’
Mason excelled at all levels from under-10s to 12s with St Joseph’s. Moreover, he even has a last-minute winner to his name after scoring in the final of the 2018 Paul Fitzgerald Cup. The teenage goal machine has also made a mark in the elite Rotterdam Cup.
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Scoring multiple goals made the process simple as he moved from Newtown Juniors to St Joseph’s Boys. Later, he went to Bray Wanderers. Finally, in 2022, Mason made it to the St Pats’ youth ranks and broke into their senior team as a 15-year-old in 2023.
While speaking to the Irish Sun, his coach said, “Mason was a star from the very start. We signed him from Newtown Juniors.”
“I mean, the first game he played for us, he scored a hat-trick. He’s phenomenal. It’s great to see him develop.”
When asked about his Tottenham move, he said, “This is so special. Everyone around the club, they’re so proud of him. I know he was down in the club recently and he went to talk to one of the teams. That’s just him. He is such a great kid.”
Regarding the move, the manager added, “But to see someone actually live their dream is just, it’s unbelievable. It’s hard to put it into words. But I’m not surprised one bit about this. Mason just has that hunger, desire, the work ethic, and he always had it.”
Tottenham fought off competition from several Premier League and European clubs to secure the teenager, according to Football London.
Melia’s fit and players’ return
While the youngster is still in his development stage, this move to North London is huge. Before moving to the first team, he had played for Spurs U-21 and even scored. Later, he went on to play four matches, starting three times.
After being involved in first-team training earlier this month, he has been called back this week.
Read More: Tottenham suffer massive Dominic Solanke injury blow
For St. Patrick’s Athletic, Mason has made 98 senior appearances, scoring 25 times. Currently, the Italian boss has multiple injury problems with Xavi Simons and Dominik Solanke joining the list.
Spurs have been handed a boost as Randal Kolo Muani shakes off injury concerns, with him, Mathys Tel, and Richarlison expected to carry the load in the fight for Premier League survival.
On the bright side, two youngsters, Melia and James Wilson, could have places on the bench for the remaining four games.
