Tottenham Hotspur have been included in the newly-formed National League Cup against a host of Premier League 2 and National League clubs. The tournament, it has been said, is designed to provide youngsters at top-flight and English Football League clubs to test themselves against senior opponents - to aid their development.
Spurs, who will field their under-21s in the competition, are among eight Premier League clubs who will be fielding their youngsters against clubs vying for promotion into the Football League pyramid. Championship and League One clubs will also face non-league clubs as part of the inaugural competition.
The 32-team competition will consist of four groups of eight in a group stage layout with the two best-placed clubs in the group progressing to the knockout stages. Beginning in October, the tournament is said to be a component of the 'Elite Player Performance Plan' which has seen over £2billion investment into Premier League and EFL academies in the last 10 years.
There will be four Group Stage matches, with the first matches to be played on October 1 and October 2, before the conclusion of the first phase at the end of January. Quarter-finals and semi-finals will be held in February and March, respectively, before the final at the beginning of April.
Spurs have been drawn in Group D alongside Nottingham Forest, Braintee Town, Dagenham & Redbridge, West Brom, Ebbsfleet United, West Ham United and Sutton United.
"We’re excited to launch this new competition in partnership with the National League," Premier League Chief Football Officer, Tony Scholes, said: "The competition will provide additional opportunities for young players in the under 17-21 age groups to gain valuable experience of playing against First Team opposition, something many of our current Premier League stars have experienced in their development."
National League General Manager, Mark Ives, believes it is an exciting chapter in the relationship between the top tier of English football and the highest league in the non-league system. He said: "This new competition presents another exciting chapter in our partnership with the Premier League.
"Our sides will have a great opportunity to compete against some of the best academy players in the country. We’re excited to be working closer with the Premier League on the operational side of the new competition and look forward to continuing our valued partnership further."
Competition round dates:
Group stage match round 1: 1 – 2 October 2024
Group stage match round 2: 5 - 6 November 2024
Group stage match round 3: 3 – 4 December 2024
Group stage match round 4: 21 – 22 January 2025
Quarter-finals: 5 – 6 February 2025
Semi-finals: 11 – 12 March 2025
Final: 1 – 2 April 2025
Full list of clubs: