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Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray are proving they have a place in Tottenham’s future

Ange Postecoglou needed some solutions to a number of problems that were holding back Tottenham Hotspur this season, so the Australian coach turned to two of the youngest players in his squad. Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray only arrived at Spurs this summer, but they are already proving their worth.

Gray made a name for himself as a breakout star for Leeds United in the Championship. Versatile and physically imposing beyond his tender age, Tottenham paid a reported £30m for the teenager when other Premier League clubs such as Brentford had been linked with him. His signing was a coup for the North London outfit.

Bergvall was more of an unknown quantity, shining for Djurgarden in Sweden last season. He was a star for Sweden’s Under-21 team and cost Spurs a modest £8.5m. Many expected Bergvall would be a developmental player, but the 18-year-old has featured in 10 Premier League matches so far this campaign.

Against Southampton on Sunday, Bergvall and Gray both started, and impressed, in an empathic 5-0 victory. The latter was deployed in central midfield where his technical attributes gave Spurs a foothold in the match while the former played as a centre back due to injuries suffered by Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven.

At a time when Tottenham needed others to step up, Bergvall and Gray were there to help the North London outfit get back on track. After back-to-back defeats to Bournemouth and Chelsea, Spurs have bounced back with positive results against Rangers and Southampton. Postecoglou has a reputation for bringing through young players and he is giving a platform to the pair.

“I’m really grateful to have the manager we’ve got,” said Gray when asked about the influence of Postecoglou who recently praised the teenager for his eye-catching performances in a Tottenham Hotspur shirt. “I’m a big fan of him. I’m grateful to have him here and to learn so much off him, it’s a big opportunity for me.

“To hear stuff like that from him, it makes you trust yourself even more and have more confidence to go out there and be fearless. That’s what he wants from us and hopefully we can go out and do that every game we’re trusted to be in.”

Tottenham under Postecoglou are certainly a work-in-progress. Inconsistency has been a problem this season to such an extent that the Australian’s future has come under scrutiny of late. After conceding a 2-0 lead at home to Chelsea to suffer a 4-3 defeat, some even speculated that Postecoglou could lose his job.

Reports claim Spurs still have faith in Postecoglou and are committed to the long-term project under the former Celtic manager. However, football is a results-driven business and Tottenham might be forced into a difficult decision if they slide any further down the Premier League table with Postecoglou’s team currently slumped in 10th place. Their hand could be forced.

In Bergvall and Gray, Postecoglou has two young players to point to as proof of his coaching ability. They embody what the Australian wants Tottenham Hotspur to be under his stewardship – dynamic, exciting and bought in to the high-risk, high-energy approach that has made Spurs so entertaining, but also so volatile.

It might well be the case that Bergvall and Gray become squad players again once a number of players return from injury and suspension – see Romero, van de Ven and Rodrigo Bentancur. However, they have more than shown their suitability for Postecoglou’s project and have earned their place in Tottenham’s future.