Tottenham youngster Jun'ai Byfield has been back training with the first team ahead of Saturday's trip to Leeds.
The versatile defender - who can play at centre-back, right-back or in midfield - is among the most highly-rated young talents at Spurs, having progressed through the academy ranks since the age of eight.
Senior Debut in January
Under-21 regular Byfield was handed his maiden senior Tottenham debut back in January, when former boss Thomas Frank introduced him in place of Lucas Bergvall for the final 28 minutes of a 2-0 home Champions League win over Borussia Dortmund. He was also sent on as a substitute a week later for the closing stages of a victory at Eintracht Frankfurt that saw Spurs seal a place in the last 16.
Byfield has made one Premier League appearance so far for Tottenham, introduced again late off the bench by Frank during the dramatic 2-2 draw with Manchester City.
Injury Setback and Return
However, his progress has been hampered of late by injury, with the 17-year-old having been sidelined since May and missed pre-season completely before returning as a substitute for the U21s during their EFL Trophy clash with fourth-tier Cheltenham that was most notable for the shock selection of exiled striker Richarlison.
Byfield has been building his fitness since then and was seen in a club video posted to social media returning to first-team training at Tottenham on Thursday, alongside fellow youngster Luca Williams-Barnett, who was handed his own Premier League debut by head coach Roberto De Zerbi during last weekend's win over Crystal Palace.
Future Prospects
It remains to be seen if De Zerbi will consider Byfield for a potential first-team role in the months ahead, with the likes of Tyrese Hall having also impressed the Spurs boss during a recent warm-weather training camp in Marbella, alongside Tye Hall and Callum Olusesi.
Tottenham are expected to receive plenty of interest in their talented crop of youngsters during the January transfer window, including goalkeeper Luca Gunter and U21s captain James Rowswell.
