Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray play in goal-heavy Spurs behind-closed-doors game

Ange Postecoglou gave a run-out to most of his Tottenham players for the first time in pre-season in a goal-heavy behind-closed-doors friendly against Cambridge United.

Spurs invited United, who finished 18th in League One last season and started their own pre-season work almost a week before the Tottenham players. The match kicked off at the Premier League club’s Hotspur Way training complex in Enfield at midday with plenty of players getting varying amounts of minutes.

New signings Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall made their first appearances in a Tottenham shirt, while Timo Werner, returning for an extended loan period next season also played as Postecoglou used a different team in each half against the Football League visitors. Technically it was two matches in that sense, the first half ending 5-0 and the second 2-2.

Gray, who has been catching the eye this week in training, is believed to have played at right-back for Tottenham in the second half, with Bergvall playing as a creative presence in the midfield. In the first half, Brennan Johnson hit a hat-trick and Son Heung-min was in blistering form with a brace of goals.

Pedro Porro. Yves Bissouma and Dejan Kulusevski all played in the first half while Manor Solomon also got his first minutes of 2024 during the encounter following his knee issues last season, playing in the opening 45 minutes. James Maddison, Werner, Oliver Skipp and Emerson Royal were among those playing in the second half line-up as Postecoglou mixed up the teams.

The lack of defensive options for Postecoglou with Cristian Romero in the Copa America final and Micky van de Ven and Radu Dragusin having only recently ended their time at the Euros meant plenty of reshuffling, with youngsters used as well and players getting minutes out of position.

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Spurs attacking midfielder Jamie Donley is believed to have done a fine job in filling as a left-back, while the highly-rated centre-back Jun’ai Byfield, who only turned 16 in March but has been impressing many within the academy and playing up the age levels, also got a chance to play in front of Postecoglou.

Among the other youngsters used, who included Tyrese Hall, George Abbott and Luca Gunter, 16-year-old Mikey Moore popped up with a goal in the second half while playing off the right wing for Spurs. Werner also forced an own goal from Cambridge, who got on the scoresheet twice themselves later in the second half.

While Djed Spence and Sergio Reguilon have been training with the group during the week, it is unclear whether the duo, who are not currently in Postecoglou’s plans for the coming season, played any part in the match.

Alejo Veliz and Dane Scarlett both spent periods of the game up front in attack, while Richarlison was spotted watching on from the bench, although it unclear whether he entered the fray at any point after his recent injury rehab work.

Next Postecoglou’s team travel to Scotland to play Hearts in an official friendly fixture on Wednesday (July 17) before returning to take on QPR at Loftus Road on Saturday July 20. A couple of days later they fly out to Japan and South Korea for their summer tour, with matches against Vissel Kobe, a K-League All Star team and Bayern Munich before returning to N17 to face Bayern again at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on August 10.

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