Harvey White: “There’s a pathway here... I’m really happy”

Harvey White is demanding the highest possible standards of himself after putting pen to paper on a new contract with the Club.

The 19-year-old central midfielder has risen through the age groups in our Academy system to the point where he’s now training regularly with the first team squad.

Having played alongside our senior stars during the last two pre-season campaigns, he’s been a regular face in and around our Europa League matchday squad this season and made his competitive debut in last month’s 4-0 win over Ludogorets at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Alongside that, he’s been playing regularly for our Under-23s in the Premier League 2, where he’s scored three goals in nine appearances so far in 2020/21.

“I’m really happy!” smiled Harvey after signing his new contract, which runs until 2024. “I feel like I’ve taken the next step in my career to sign this deal at Tottenham and I feel like there’s definitely a pathway here with this manager and the players, who have all got a winning mentality. I want to be a part of it.

“This is my third pro deal. I’m still 19, so that tells me that the Club has got a lot of trust in me and that they can see a future in me. I just want to pay it back on the pitch.

“I’m gaining a lot of confidence but it also brings a lot of pressure as well now that I’ve signed a new deal, because I’ve got to go to the next stage with my football ability. It provides a lot of confidence but also a lot of pressure because the Club is expecting more from me now.”

A skilful central midfielder with a great range of passing who is also a dead-ball specialist, Harvey officially joined our Academy with the Under-8s and has progressed well through the age groups. In 2017, he was part of the Academy guard of honour on the pitch at White Hart Lane’s closing ceremony, and two years later had the distinction of playing in the first-ever football match at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as our Under-18s battled Southampton in the first Test Event at the venue. There, he went down in history as the first player ever to score a penalty at our new home.

“I’ve been around since the age of six, officially joined with the Under-8s and it’s been mad to be fair!” he smiled. “I think there’s been four different training grounds over the years – Myddelton House, Spurs Lodge, Frenford and here at Hotspur Way – and then obviously I come from Kent, so it’s a lot of travelling, my parents have done a lot of journeys for me so I thank them a lot. It’s been a tough journey but it’s just the start.”

Having seen so many players progress through the ranks and become first team players before him, Harvey explained that he has a number of role models at the Club to look up to – both among our home-grown contingent and those who have joined us from elsewhere.

“Obviously the main ones are Harry Kane and Harry Winks who have come from the Academy, but now there’s Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg as well, who has come in from outside the club and is like a gladiator!” he said. “He’s been playing very well recently, I speak to him a lot and ask him a lot of questions. I try to take bits from everyone’s games really, a bit like a sponge, trying to absorb loads of information. I just love training with the first team, they’ve made me feel welcome right from the start, obviously I’ve had to show what I can do on the training pitch but also I’m still getting 90 minutes every week playing for the Under-23s and doing well, so I’m really enjoying it.

“In the medium-term future, I just want to try to keep getting game time and try to keep improving, then long-term, ultimately I just want to play for Tottenham. It would be a dream come true to become a regular player here in future. I’ve been at the Club since I was six, signed at eight, so I haven’t known anything different. It would be a dream come true!”