FA Youth Cup a 'wonderful experience' - Matt Taylor

Our Under-18s step out in the prestigious FA Youth Cup for the first time this season on Monday night, with a huge third round tie against holders Liverpool.

Taking on the Reds at Stevenage’s Lamex Stadium, Under-18s Coach Matt Taylor is interested to see how his young charges fare in a high-profile game inside a Football League ground.

“It’s a great draw for us,” said Matt, who played in the competition as a teenager for Luton Town in the late-1990s. “From a personal point of view, I’m really looking forward to seeing our boys tested against a really strong Under-18s side from Liverpool. It’s going to be a great occasion, a tough game for both sets of players but it’s one that I know all the squad, myself and the coaching staff are really looking forward to.

“It’s a cup competition that I remember playing in as a 16-year-old. The heritage is huge and with it being a one-off game, it’s one that we’ve got to approach and attempt to win. Judging by how training has been in the last couple of days, it’s probably been taken up to a new level. Everyone’s got a massive smile on their face, which is ultimately what we want to see as coaches, the players are taking on board all the information that we’re giving them and they’re all looking forward to it.”

Matt, who joined our Academy coaching team this year following the conclusion of a playing career that included spells at Portsmouth, Bolton and West Ham, hopes to see a healthy crowd at Stevenage, where many of our home Under-23 matches are also held.

“With the boys being the age they are, I think it would be great if we could get some more Tottenham fans along there because it’s a wonderful experience,” he said. “I remember the first time I played at a stadium, that was in the FA Youth Cup, so hopefully we can get some fans along to support the boys and that will maybe start to help them realise and understand how important fans can be, because if they are going to step up and play first team football, they’ll have to deal with the pressure of playing in front of big numbers of people.

“We’re not in a vein of form where we’ve picked up results that have gone the way we want them to in the league but we’ve still got a lot of confidence in the group, there’s a lot of talent here and I’m really looking forward to Monday night, to seeing the boys go out and perform and show fans who maybe haven’t seen Under-18 football just how good they are.”

Kick-off at Stevenage is at 7pm and tickets are on sale now, priced at £5 for adults and £2 for concessions. A limited number of tickets will also be available on the night, but supporters are advised to book online to avoid disappointment.