Tottenham's Alex Pritchard says his season-long loan at League One Swindon has been the best year of his career.
"It's been my best year. I've grown up a lot," he told BBC Wiltshire.
When asked about what has changed, he added: "Getting fouled a lot, getting up and trying not to react, which I've done a few times this year, as well as not backchatting to the referees.
"I've stopped that. I got a couple of bad tackles at the weekend but didn't react to it."
And Pritchard says his experience in a competitive League One environment has been a learning curve.
"In the reserve league, you're playing against the likes of Chelsea, where both teams play football," he said. "There's some tackles, but they're not strong.
"But then you come to League One and play against teams like Bradford, who just want to put it on the diagonal and it's a battle in the middle of the park.
"You've got to get used to it. It's totally different but I've loved every minute of it.
"People didn't think I'd be up for it or be able to deal with it. But I had it in my head that I had to deal with it."
Swindon manager Mark Cooper also remarked on the improvement he has seen in Pritchard since the start of the season.
"He's learnt how to live and how to act as a first-team professional,"
"To come into an environment where three points mean everything, that's what it's about. At the start he found it difficult but he's got better and better.
"The biggest accolade you can get is the respect of your team-mates. When he goes away I know they'll say 'that Alex Pritchard was some player'."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27148261
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Some encouraging words from young Alex and his manager, seems like he's got an old head on young shoulders and should come back to us much improved for his time in League One.
Any budding youth team scouts or Swindon fans care to shed any light on whether we can expect him to make an impact like HurriKane has this season?
COYS
Alex Pritchard
posted on 25/4/14
He has been too good for that league.
AFAIK, the club failed to move him into the league above in the new year window.
What differs him from Carroll is that he seems to have that precocious self-belief that some kids have (as shown by his goals this season) . If QPR don't get promoted or the Os do, we have somewhere to put him (belatedly) .
In the seniors : not yet.
He would front up and love a go, but the problem with the squad at the moment is that there are (currently) too many in those positions and of the same age group (Eriksen, Lamela etc) .
posted on 25/4/14
Thanks RDBD
Precocious self belief sounds good to me, I think it's important that young players enjoy the process of proving themselves - in contrast to Townsend's apparently "difficult" loan spells.
So he's a wide forward rather than ST.. we are well stocked there.. next season could be crucial to him at 21.
In your opinion, seniors next term: Pritchard, Carroll or neither?
IMO Carroll is ready - make or break time is now.
posted on 25/4/14
Carroll needs a Premiership loan move next season, unless Sherwood stays then Carroll will start next to Bentaleb with Pritchard behind Kane.
posted on 25/4/14
comment by Sherwood Forest (U10416)
posted 24 minutes ago
Carroll needs a Premiership loan move next season, unless Sherwood stays then Carroll will start next to Bentaleb with Pritchard behind Kane.
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You're probably right there. we'd be lucky to finish in the top half of the table.
posted on 25/4/14
I really like prichard has very good movement good set piece abilities and for his age is very mature.
The bad news is we tried to sell him in january, in fact he very nearly left for 1 million. I just hope that our transfer policy will now stop the silliness as this boy is a talent.
From what I gathered in jan was that all the kids had a price we sell them and slap on buy back clauses and percentage clauses. Not a way to produce premier league starlets.
posted on 25/4/14
From what I gathered in jan was that all the kids had a price we sell them and slap on buy back clauses and percentage clauses.
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LLM
Sounds like a similar model, if more transparent, to the Chelsea way of farming out their youngsters with a view to either turning a profit or bringing them back should they prove to be a success.
I'm sure i'm not alone in being surprised at Kane's emergence in the last few games.. goes to show that we'll only find out if they're going to cut it by chucking them in.
Pritchard's saying all the right things, hope he gets a chance
posted on 25/4/14
I think there is a huge difference between league one and premier league. He is still very young, I think he needs to go on loan to a championship club first.
posted on 25/4/14
"In your opinion, seniors next term: Pritchard, Carroll or neither?"
Neither.
Carroll does not seem to have done enough with QPR to even attract a PL club for a loan (which we accept is the final step of the Academy process) .
posted on 25/4/14
championship loan for him next then.
work his way up