School's delight as ex-pupil, 16, debuts for Spurs

Luca Williams-Barnett made his debut for Spurs on Wednesday

A school has sent congratulations to a 16-year-old former pupil who has made his debut for Tottenham Hotspur Football Club in the last few minutes of a match.

Luca Williams-Barnett, who will turn 17 next month, came on as a substitute in the 87th minute of the League Cup third round match against Doncaster Rovers in London on Wednesday.

His former school, Lealands High School in Luton, posted on Facebook to say: "Huge congratulations to our former student, Luca! From taking your GCSEs in the Summer to making your senior debut for Tottenham Hotspur."

Spurs won the match 3-0.

Luca Williams-Barnett of Tottenham Hotspur is tackled by Sean Grehan of Doncaster Rovers during the Carabao Cup Third Round match between Tottenham Hotspur and Doncaster Rovers at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

The attacking midfielder joined Spurs under-10s, having previously played for hometown club Luton Town.

On its website, Spurs said Williams-Barnett "made his debut for our Under-18s as a 15-year-old during the 2023-24 season and shone at that level throughout the following campaign, memorably scoring long-range goals against West Ham, Leicester City and Aston Villa".

The Leicester strike earned him the "Under-18 Premier League Goal of the Season – while also netting a hat-trick in our Under-17 Premier League Cup final success against Charlton Athletic".

Luca Williams-Barnett took his GCSEs in the spring

Following his debut on Wednesday, his school added: "We're all incredibly proud to have been part of your journey and will be cheering you on every step of the way."