A TALENTED Bowers & Pitsea youngster from Benfleet has completed a move to Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspur.

Ten-year-old Joe Burton has spent the last couple of months at Spurs on trial with the under-11s, and has impressed after initially catching the eye of the club’s scouts during a development session at Corringham’s Gable Hall School.

Joe, who is an avid Tottenham supporter, attends the Robert Drake Primary School and has now achieved his dream after signing a contract at the club’s academy.

And dad Paul says it is a dream for his son, who “sleeps and dreams” football and has been with Bowers & Pitsea for the last three years.

“It is a dream come true for Joe,” said Paul. “It takes a lot of dedication and commitment to achieve something like this and he has got the rewards because of his endeavour.

“Joe went to a soccer camp at Spurs at the end of last year and he has been training with them ever since,” said Paul. “He has been training at Grays, Epping and Enfield with the other boys and he has fitted in really well.

“He trains three times a week with the club now and it is great for his development. Joe is tall for his age and he knows what he wants – to be a footballer.”

Joe, a centre-back who plays for Bowers & Pitsea’s under-12 side, models himself on Spurs’ Belgian centre-back Toby Alderweireld and attends Mark Hunter’s Pro-Academy of Football as well as playing the young side.

Hunter is a coach at Bowers, working alongside first-team manager Rob Small, as well as coaching at the West Ham United academy.

Paul says his son is making a good early impression at Spurs in light of the coaching he receives and says he loves watching his son play, despite all the extra travelling.

“It does mean a bit of extra driving,” laughed Paul. “It is normally my wife Rebecca and I who go and watch while he sits with his tablet in the car. But he has now achieved what he set out to do and now wants to progress in the system.”

To join Mark’s soccer schools visit markhunter@pro-academyof football.com