Tottenham youngster could be recalled from loan after lack of starts

Tottenham Hotspur could recall a player loaned out last summer and send them to another club, as they have not been selected in recent weeks.

Who is Matthew Craig?

Matthew Craig is one of Tottenham’s lesser known players and he is currently on loan at Barnsley in a deal which is supposed to last until the summer.

Although Craig was born in Barnet, he has represented the Scottish national team at youth level, as he has Scottish grandparents, one of whom is Ron Still, who played for Notts County in the 1960s, as well as having a short stint at Brentford.

Craig also has a twin brother, Michael, who he played alongside in Tottenham’s academy setup, but he moved on from Spurs more than two years ago and now plays his football in League One with Reading.

Primarily a defensive midfielder, Craig has also been known to slot in at right-back or centre-back or play in a more advanced role. According to Target Scouting, he plays aggressively and likes to use his body to turnover possession, has good technique and the ability to play a variety of passes.

Matthew Craig could be recalled by Tottenham

Craig had a positive loan spell in the second half of last season at Doncaster Rovers and while he made a number of appearances when he first joined Barnsley, he has not played for the Tykes in their past eight matches in all competitions.

According to Football Insider, Tottenham could look to recall Craig from Barnsley, who have dropped to eighth in League One, and send him to another club so he is granted more minutes on the pitch.

A number of EFL teams are reportedly lining up to secure a loan deal for Craig when the January transfer window opens, so it should not be difficult for Spurs to find him another club.

Will Matthew Craig ever make it at Tottenham?

Currently it is difficult to see how Craig will ever make it into Tottenham’s first-team squad. He will be 22-years-old by the end of the season, but is failing to start for a team in the third tier of English football.

Although some players have taken their time to develop and gone on to be successful – Harry Kane springs to mind, Craig has not managed to successfully make the jump from League Two to League One and it would not be surprising if his current contract, which runs until 2026, is his final one at Spurs.

The post Tottenham youngster could be recalled from loan after lack of starts appeared first on Spurs Web.