Former Tottenham wonderkid who cancelled his own contract is now playing Sunday League

A former Tottenham wonderkid who outscored Harry Kane is now playing at a very different level six years after turning down a professional contract.

Reo Griffiths bagged 33 goals for Spurs' Under 18 side in the 2017/18 season, nearly double what England record goalscorer Kane managed when he was in the youth ranks in 2009/10.

The striker, who scored four goals in a 9-0 hammering of North London rivals Arsenal, was tipped for big things.

Spurs offered him a professional deal but terms could not be reached and Griffiths ended up staying on his scholarship deal for a third year.

However, Griffiths saw his future elsewhere and according to The Sun,

both he and the club signed documents to signal his contract was cancelled.

A slew of clubs were circling around Griffiths, including the likes of PSG, Real Madrid, Barcelona and RB Leipzig.

In the end Lyon won the race for his signature, with Griffiths signing a four-year deal and Spurs being entitled to six years' training compensation under FIFA rules.

The England youth international spent three-and-a-half years with the Ligue One outfit but did not make a first-team appearance.

Instead, he mainly turned out for the club's second team in the Championnat National 2 and scored 13 goals.

Griffiths then played in both League One and League Two with Doncaster Rovers before dropping down to the National League in a brief loan spell with Yeovil Town.

His Rovers deal was terminated by mutual consent in November 2023 and it was reported that he had been without a club since then.

However, it's emerged that Griffiths has actually dropped down to the wonderful world of Sunday League football.

He's been playing for Critics FC, who are fifth in the Senior Division of the Essex Sunday Corinthian Football League.

According to the league's website, Griffiths was made available from the 1 December and has four goals in three games.

After a post went viral, the club took to X to say that Griffiths is using the time with them to get "critical minutes/fitness in the tank before he lights up the professional stage".

Featured Image Credit: Getty & Essex Sunday Corinthian Football League

Topics: Tottenham Hotspur, Premier League

Josh Lawless

Josh is a sports journalist who specialises in football and wrestling. He has been published by Curzon Ashton FC, Late Tackle, Manchester City FC, The Mirror, Read Man City and Manchester Evening News. He provides coverage of professional wrestling and has interviewed some of the biggest names in the field - including the first UK interview with The Hardy Boyz after their return to WWE. He has never sported a pair of Lonsdale Slip-ons, contrary to reports.

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