Ashley Phillips has a decision to make on his future at Tottenham this summer. (Photo by DARREN STAPLES/AFP via Getty Images)

Rising Tottenham talent backed to push for N17 exit this summer

Originally posted on To The Lane And Back
By Rohan Sengupta | Last updated Jun 25, 2025 7:30 AM ET

Thomas Frank is an admirer of Ashley Phillips and wants to keep him at Tottenham next season amid interest from Championship clubs

Tottenham Hotspur do have impressive youngsters returning from successful loan spells, and there is every possibility a few of them could be given opportunities to feature in the first team by new boss Thomas Frank.

Spurs have appointed Thomas Frank to help nurture the club’s young talents whilst helping the experienced pros to take their game to the next level. The club has a plethora of young players in their squad, and the Danish head coach will be extremely excited to get the chance to coach some of the finest young talents.

One of these talented youngsters returning from a strong loan spell is Ashley Phillips. The teenager was on loan at Stoke City in the Championship, playing under three different managers Steven Schumacher, Narcis Pelach and Mark Robins. He made 35 appearances in the Championship, as Stoke City finished a lowly 18th in the table.

While Ashley Phillips was not always a regular starter, he did gain some much-needed experience at the Bet365 Stadium. And it comes after the Salford-born talent spent the second half of the 2023/24 campaign on loan at Plymouth Argyle and helped them retain Championship status.

The rangy centre-back’s performances at Stoke have not gone unnoticed, with fellow Championship outfit Sheffield United now keen on signing him. Stoke also remain interested in taking him back on loan for the second successive campaign. Thomas Frank is supposedly a huge fan of Phillips and wants him as part of his squad next season, amid loan interest from Sheffield United.

However, reputable Spurs podcast Lilywhite Rose owner John Wenham feels the young defender would prefer to leave the North Londoners on loan and join one of the interested Championship outfits.

“Sheffield United are always one of the favourites to come up,” John Wenham exclusively told Tottenham News.

“Phillips did exceptionally well at Stoke last year, and I know it has been suggested that he’ll be kept around at Tottenham. However, he needs to be playing.

“You can’t go from playing regularly to being a fifth-choice centre-back, it doesn’t work like that. He wouldn’t accept that role in the squad; he’ll want to go out and play and keep developing. Therefore, I think it would be wise for Tottenham to loan him out.”

Frank is hoping to keep Phillips at Tottenham for the upcoming season. It remains to be seen whether he can provide him with ample opportunities to showcase his talent, although currently with Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Kevin Danso, Ben Davies and Radu Dragusin at the new head coach’s disposal, regular playing time looks bleak for the teenager.

With Spurs set to compete in the Champions League next term, one would expect the Englishman to get minutes on the pitch. But if he is the fourth or fifth-choice option for Frank, it would be better for Phillips to go out on another loan in the Championship and continue his development. A temporary switch to Sheffield United under new boss Ruben Selles would not be a bad idea.

This article first appeared on To The Lane And Back and was syndicated with permission.

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