Tottenham Hotspur have won the Under-17 Premier League Cup for the second time in three seasons, with Luca Williams-Barnett scoring a hat-trick in Friday’s 5-2 final win over Charlton Athletic.
Williams-Barnett opened the scoring for Tottenham within the first three minutes, firing home from a tight angle after latching on to Harry Byrne’s ball down the left.
Charlton then equalised in the 19th minute through former Spurs academy player Manu Wales, but Williams-Barnett put Tottenham ahead again on 36 minutes with a near-post finish.
Williams-Barnett then completed his hat-trick on 56 minutes, skilfully rounding Addicks goalkeeper Finley Woodham and slotting into an empty net.
Wales then made it 3-2 just three minutes later, but a Byrne free kick – after Williams-Barnett was brought down – and a late Reiss Elliott-Parris strike made sure the trophy went to Spurs.
Tottenham fans loved what they saw from their young team and called on one of their players to be fast-tracked into the first-team.
Tottenham fans call for Luca Williams-Barnett to be in and around the first-team
A number of Tottenham fans said Williams-Barnett is one of the best players they’ve seen in their youth setup and believed he should be in and around the first-team.
“Give Luca Williams-Barnett some minutes on Sunday,” one fan wrote on X. “He deserves to make his first Tottenham appearance.”
Another said: “Luca Williams-Barnett is fast becoming my favourite player at Spurs.
“He plays with a freedom of yesteryear, a park footballer with not a care in the world.
“What a season this young man has had. Reminds me of Cole Palmer, hope he gets his chance soon.”
The praise kept coming, with one fan saying: “Why spend £50-plus millions on Tyler Dibling in the summer when we have Luca Williams-Barnett ready to make a break through in the next couple of years and Mikey Moore who’s hopefully will get more opportunities next season.”
Another wrote: “Luca Williams-Barnett is gonna be incredible isn’t he. Baller.”
Another said: “This should be a player on the fringes of the first team, not down there.
“We honestly do not need anymore wingers and need to start putting more faith into players like Moore, Williams-Barnett.”
Luca Williams-Barnett fact-file
Williams-Barnett is a 16-year-old attacking midfielder who can also play on the flanks.
He was previously in Luton Town’s academy before joining the Spurs setup and quickly rising through the ranks.
This season, Williams-Barnett has registered a staggering 18 goals and nine assists from just 17 youth appearances.
The Evening Standard named Williams-Barnett in their list of the best London-based academy talents in 2024.
They also said he is “known for his skills, dribbling and spectacular finishing”.
