Tottenham have announced that Northern Ireland youth international George Feeney has signed his first professional contract with the club.
The 17-year-old joined Spurs last summer from Glentoran and has been starting on a regular basis for the London side’s Under-18s this season, playing 12 times and scoring twice.
Arriving as a striker, Feeney has shown his versatility by also playing in a midfield role for Tottenham.
He is considered a bright prospect at Spurs, who will hope the pro deal can give the teenager the belief to go to the next level.
Tottenham beat a host of top flight English clubs including Brighton, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, West Ham and Everton to Feeney’s signature and since moving across the water the ex-Ashfield Boys student has trained with Ange Postecoglou’s first team squad, which he viewed as a fantastic learning experience.
In October last year the Belfast Telegraph revealed that Feeney had decided his international future lay with Northern Ireland, ending a tug-of-war with Wales for his services having previously represented both nations.
Senior team boss Michael O’Neill and Under-19 manager Gareth McAuley had conversations with Feeney which were key to the promising youngster opting for Northern Ireland.
Following those talks and discussions with his family, Feeney made the call to wear a green shirt moving forward rather than the red of Wales where he was born.
While his ambition at club level is to progress towards the Tottenham first team squad, Feeney’s international dream is to feature for the senior Northern Ireland side in the future. Should that happen he would create history by becoming the fourth generation in the Feeney family to do so.
Feeney’s dad Warren, a former Linfield and Glentoran manager, won 46 caps and scored five international goals and enjoyed a lengthy playing career across the water, while George’s grandad Warren Sr played for Northern Ireland in 1976 as a Glentoran player and George’s great grandfather Jimmy played twice for Ireland before the IFA/FAI divide.
The youngster made his first team debut for Glentoran last season at the age of 15 when his dad was manager at The Oval, coming off the bench in a County Antrim Shield penalty shoot-out success over Crusaders.
Shortly after that he made his League debut as a substitute against Newry City and a month later Feeney became the youngest goal scorer ever for Glentoran with a fine finish in a BetMcLean Cup triumph versus Dollingstown.
He went on to become a regular in the first team squad before his move to Tottenham.