Amazing Spurs academy star was outscoring Kane & wanted by Barca, now he’s in USA 3rd tier
Tottenham Hotspur have been home to numerous talented attackers over the years, yet they have struggled to secure major silverware.
The club’s last trophy came in 2008, when they won the League Cup, and current manager Ange Postecoglou hopes to end this dry spell. One player Postecoglou could rely on is Brennan Johnson, who is in excellent form, scoring in each of his last six appearances for Spurs.
Johnson, formerly of Nottingham Forest, aims to follow in the footsteps of Gareth Bale, another Welsh winger who dazzled during his time in North London.
Bale left an indelible mark on Tottenham, scoring 105 goals in 251 appearances before securing an £85 million move to Real Madrid in 2013. His time at Spurs made him a fan favorite, and his departure left a significant gap in the attack.
He isn’t the only player who put up impressive numbers at Spurs before moving to a European giant. Harry Kane, one of the greatest players to ever wear a Tottenham shirt, also left the club to pursue new opportunities abroad.
Kane, a product of Tottenham’s academy, had to work his way into the first team. Once established, he became the club’s all-time leading scorer, surpassing Jimmy Greaves by a significant margin.
Kane’s tally of 280 goals for Tottenham includes 213 in the Premier League, making him the second-highest scorer in the league’s history, behind only Alan Shearer. His departure to Bayern Munich last summer in a deal worth £82 million created a massive void at the club, especially regarding their ability to challenge for trophies.
During his final season at Tottenham, Kane registered the best goal-scoring numbers of his career, netting 44 goals in as many games.
However, even this extraordinary effort wasn’t enough to secure the Bundesliga title for Bayern Munich, and Kane continues his search for that elusive first major trophy. While Kane’s career path has taken him to one of Europe’s biggest clubs, another former Tottenham academy product, Reo Griffiths, followed a very different trajectory.
Reo Griffiths: The Striker Who Outscored Kane at Youth Level
Reo Griffiths emerged from Tottenham’s academy as a prolific goal-scorer, showing immense potential. During the 2017/18 season, Griffiths scored 33 goals for Tottenham’s U18 side—nearly double the number Kane managed at the same age.
His performances, including a memorable four-goal haul against Arsenal, attracted interest from Europe’s top clubs, including Real Madrid and Barcelona. Spurs offered Griffiths a professional contract, hoping to keep him at the club, but he declined and left for Lyon on a free transfer in 2018.
Unfortunately, Griffiths’ move to Lyon did not pan out as expected. He only played for their youth teams and never made a senior appearance for the club. After a few years, he left Lyon and signed with Doncaster Rovers in League One, hoping to revive his career.
However, his time at Doncaster was equally disappointing, and after stints with Yeovil Town and Wealdstone in England’s lower leagues, Griffiths found himself struggling to find his form.
Reo Griffiths’ Career Stats Since Leaving Tottenham
| Team | Games | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lyon B | 34 | 13 | 1 |
| Doncaster Rovers | 21 | 2 | 2 |
| Yeovil Town | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Wealdstone | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Portland Timbers B | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 62 | 15 | 3 |
Griffiths’ post-Tottenham career has been a stark contrast to his promising youth days. After his release from Doncaster during the 2023/24 season, Griffiths found himself playing Sunday league football to maintain fitness.
In April of this year, he moved to the MLS side Portland Timbers, where he joined their B-team. Unfortunately, an Achilles injury just a month after signing has delayed his debut for the club.
At 24 years old, Griffiths still has time to turn his career around, but his story serves as a reminder of how quickly a promising career can veer off track. His decision to leave Tottenham in pursuit of first-team football at Lyon ultimately didn’t work out, and he has struggled to find his footing since. It remains a “what could have been” story for the young striker, as he watches other Tottenham graduates, like Kane, go on to achieve success at the highest levels of the game.
Griffiths’ story is a cautionary tale for young players coming through the ranks, highlighting that leaving a top club like Tottenham for greener pastures doesn’t always lead to success.
His journey reminds us that talent alone isn’t enough; timing, decisions, and opportunities can significantly influence a player’s career path. While Kane and Bale went on to achieve stardom, Griffiths continues to search for a way to fulfill the potential he once showed in the Tottenham academy.
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