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Ange Postecoglou has made the tough decision to omit Djed Spence from his Europa League group-stage squad.

Tottenham faced a deadline on Wednesday to submit their squad to UEFA, adhering to strict regulations regarding squad numbers. While Postecoglou's Premier League team selection is straightforward, with all players easily registered, the Europa League rules present more of a challenge.

A key difference from domestic league regulations is the categorisation of under-21 players. In UEFA competitions, this group is referred to as the B list, which only includes players who have been at the club for two years, excluding new signings like Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall, who must be registered with the main squad.

Additionally, the definition of homegrown talent differs in European contests, splitting into two distinct groups. According to the rules, "as a minimum, eight of those 25 places are reserved exclusively for 'locally trained players' and no club may have more than four 'association-trained players' listed among those eight places.

If a club has fewer than eight locally trained players in their squad, then the maximum number of players on List A is reduced accordingly".

There are two categories of locally-trained players in football. The first is 'club-trained players', who have been with the club for three full seasons or 36 months between the ages of 15 and 21.

The second category is 'association-trained players', who have spent the same amount of time with another club within the same association.

Tottenham, however, only have two out of the required four club-trained players - Brandon Austin and Alfie Whiteman. This has forced them to reduce their squad to 23 players.

They also have seven association-trained players, but only four can be categorised as such, meaning the remaining three had to be included in the main group. Unfortunately, there was only one spot left in that group.

This resulted in both Sergio Reguilon and Spence missing out on selection. Spence joined Spurs in 2022 from Middlesbrough and has since worked his way back into Postecoglou's plans this summer.

If Tottenham progress past the group stages, they will be allowed to submit a new squad list with a few permitted changes. They are set to face Qarabag, Ferencvaros, AZ Alkmaar, Galatasaray, Roma, Rangers, Hoffenheim and Elfsborg in the coming months.

The career of a Premier League footballer can be rewarding but equally challenging, often due to the short lifespan of a professional player. In modern times, it is easier for retiring footballers to find a path into another career when their playing days are over - be it coaching, punditry or even as a sporting director.

But there are some footballers who lead a quieter life out of the limelight and want a normal job to keep their head above water once the big bucks stop rolling in.

Neil Sullivan is firmly in that category.

With over 650 games for six clubs spanning 25 years in English football, Sullivan is a name synonymous with the purist era of English football, where foreign ownership was almost unheard of and teams such as Chelsea and Manchester City hadn't even won their first Premier League title.

At the height of his career in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Sullivan was a regular presence in goal for Wimbledon before joining Tottenham, where he played in their League Cup final defeat in 2001-02. The former Scotland international went on to join Chelsea as a reserve goalkeeper, then Leeds United, Doncaster Rovers and AFC Wimbledon.

After retiring in 2013, Sullivan decided to swap his goalkeeping gloves for a clipboard in the passenger's seat, as he began his new life as a driving instructor for Learn Driving UK in North Yorkshire.

He briefly entered into coaching at Leeds United and also worked with Hull City's Under-18s up until last year. While he admits it's an entirely different world to the one he used to belong to, there is some enjoyment to take from his new career path behind the wheel.

“The only thing I had done successfully outside playing was teach my kids to drive, so it seemed the perfect thing to do," Sullivan told The Sun. “It’s a world away from what I have done in the past but it’s incredibly satisfying helping people pass and getting them out on the road," Sullivan added.

“I’ve been in Harrogate for the past 20 years having moved up from London. I am really excited to share my knowledge and help people gain their independence and freedom that learning to drive can bring in a calm, safe and enjoyable environment.

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“I will not just teach you how to pass your driving test. I will teach you to be able to drive in all weather conditions, on all roads, day or night economically, considerately and above all else safely.”

The 54-year-old, like many goalkeepers, is famous for the goals he conceded rather the ones he prevented. He was standing between the sticks for Wimbledon when a young David Beckham beat him with an audacious effort from the halfway line for Manchester United in 1996.

“That’s the life of a keeper," Sullivan added. "For all the games, match-winning saves, clean sheets and penalty stops I made, the two matches that always come up are Becks and Di Canio."

While being a goalkeeper is often a thankless task, Sullivan is still fondly remembered for his exploits in goal at his former club. Now, he is thriving in a similar gatekeeping role: keeping his students safe on the road.

Alan Shearer and Gary Lineker backed Manchester City midfielder Rodri to clinch the Ballon d'Or. The 28-year-old enjoyed an exceptional year for club and country, winning the Premier League and then the European Championship with Spain.

Yet, because he is a defensive midfielder instead of a serial goalscorer, many believe he may struggle to pick up the individual gong. However, Rodri's impact has been impossible to ignore, especially considering he has not lost a football match across 90 minutes since March 2023, when Scotland beat Spain 2-0 in Euro 2024 qualifying.

The former Atletico Madrid star will be competing against Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Jr and Kylian Mbappe, while Lionel Messi could also be a contender for the award for a ninth time after winning the Copa America with Argentina. Despite the stiff competition, Lineker and Shearer thinks Rodri is in a field of his own.

While also speaking to Micah Richards on the Rest is Football podcast, both Shearer and Lineker named Rodri as their pick for the Ballon d'Or. The Newcastle United legend said: "It can only be him."

Lineker added: "I think Rodri deserves it. They did not win the Champions League at City, but they did win the league and then the Euros with Spain, when he was very much their leader."

He also thinks Rodri's Spanish team-mate Lamine Yamal will also scoop up an award of his own. The former Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur striker said: "I think young player of the year, I have a feeling, will be Lamine Yamal. He could win that for the next five years."

Pep Guardiola also recently threw his support behind the midfield maestro for the high-profile award in Paris on Monday, October 28, reports the Mirror. Speaking ahead of City's recent triumph over West Ham United, Guardiola said: "We would be delighted - he deserves it.

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"But maybe another one deserves it too. The people will vote. Rodri has done not just one season, many seasons really good and the previous season was really good with the Premier League and the Euros winning with Spain.

"But there are other players who had a good season. I would love one [City] player to win it because for players it means a lot. I would love it.

"I've said many times, just being in contention and being there means the club - individually and collectively - has done a good season. There are a lot of good teams with good players, hopefully it happens but it is not in my hands."

Listen to 'The Rest Is Football' wherever you get your podcasts.

Crystal Palace will reportedly be left powerless to stop Arsenal or Tottenham from signing Eberechi Eze next summer. The Eagles forward was linked with a move elsewhere throughout the summer window but ultimately ended up staying at Selhurst Park.

Arsenal were credited with an interest in Eze but they ended up signing Raheem Sterling on loan from Chelsea instead. Tottenham, meanwhile, poached Wilson Odobert from Burnley despite being linked with a potential move for Eze to strengthen their forward line.

The 26-year-old signed a contract extension at Palace last November, tying him down until the summer of 2027. The deal included a buyout clause in the region of £60million, with various add-ons taking the total value up to around £68m.

Eze's release clause expired at the end of the window, with no clubs activating it before Friday's deadline. However, a twist in the tale could see Eze leave Palace for the original value of his buyout clause next year.

It will reactivate when the current campaign draws to a close, according to the Daily Mail. It means Palace will be unable to stop Arsenal or Tottenham from signing Eze, as long as they are willing to submit a bid which matches his £68m release clause.

They could still attempt to haggle a lower price, with Palace reportedly open to negotiating the terms of a deal. There is also time for the Eagles to hand Eze a new contract with a higher release clause, should they wish to do so.

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Eze has emerged as one of the Premier League's most exciting forwards since joining Palace from Queens Park Rangers in 2020. It has been reported that QPR will be entitled to 20 per cent of any transfer fee, meaning they will receive over £13m if he is sold for the value of his release clause.

Palace chairman Steve Parish recently expressed his surprise at the lack of summer interest in Eze, admitting that he was resigned to losing him to a bigger club.

Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: "I was really worried from a club point of view of losing Michael [Olise] and Ebbs [Eze] in the same window and we didn't have in Ebbs the interest that I thought we would have.

"I was astounded. Genuinely astounded. I mean, the guy's just an outstanding footballer and an outstanding person."

Tottenham teenager Lucas Bergvall has shed light on what happened behind the scenes after he was torn into by Guglielmo Vicario during his Premier League debut.

The 18-year-old is said to have seriously impressed Ange Postecoglou and Spurs' coaches since completing an £8.5million switch from Swedish side Djurgarden. Tottenham beat Barcelona to Bergvall's signature in a deal which was agreed in January but delayed him joining up with the squad until this summer.

Despite his age, the midfielder has appeared as a substitute in all three of Spurs' Premier League matches so far this season. But things nearly took an ugly turn during his first game at Leicester City.

Coming on as a late sub with the game at 1-1, Bergvall gave the ball away in a dangerous position and almost allowed the Foxes to snatch the three points. Vicario unleashed fury at the youngster after Tottenham survived the scare, but Bergvall claims that the pair resolved their differences soon afterwards.

"Sometimes you do slightly worse things, sometimes you do better things," he told Aftonbladet. "We were 1-0 up with a fairly comfortable lead. We conceded 1-1 and then that happens (when he lost the ball).

"All is calm now. We have talked about it. Vicario said that there are hot feelings and things like that that happen."

Tottenham's summer transfer business has made their midfield even more competitive. First-team regulars Yves Bissouma, Rodrigo Bentancur and Pape Sarr have been joined by Archie Gray and Bergvall in the fight for two starting spots.

It was always going to be a big step up from the Swedish Allsvenskan to the Premier League for Bergvall, and though he has taken it in his stride, the difference in quality is obvious to him.

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"The only thing I knew was that it would be tough," he continued. "It was a motivation when I came to a new league with new people, new team-mates, new coaches, new facilities, diet, training, physical activity, everything. It feels like I have taken very big steps in these two months.

"The quality of the players and the teams you face... it's incredible quality, everywhere. It is not possible to make that many mistakes or any mistakes at all. You must always be ready. This is the case regardless of where you play, but now it can be punished a little easier."

Tottenham flop Steven Bergwijn has been blacklisted from the Netherlands squad by Ronald Koeman after completing a move to the Saudi Pro League. Bergwjn spent 18 months in north London after joining in 2020 but struggled to make the grade and was eventually sold to Ajax.

The 26-year-old helped Ajax to win the Eredivisie in his first year at the club but was among several players to fall short of expectations last season. Over the summer, he was deemed surplus to requirements before moving to Saudi club Al-Ittihad.

Bergwijn was initially linked with a potential move to Southampton, which would have seen him return to the Premier League after two years away. However, he ended up joining Al-Ittihad in a deal worth around £17million, putting pen to paper on a lucrative three-year contract.

The former Tottenham winger was named in the Dutch squad for Euro 2024 and made two appearances at the tournament. However, it seems Bergwijn may have represented his country for the last time after being brutally axed by Koeman.

Quizzed on why Bergwijn was not included in the squad for this week's international fixtures, the Netherlands boss replied: "Steven Bergwijn goes to Saudi Arabia at the age of 26. It's clear this has nothing to do with sporting ambition. His book with the Dutch national team is closed."

It remains to be seen if Bergwijn will be able to work his way back into the Netherlands side if Koeman is replaced by another coach in the future. For now, his main focus will be to make a fast start to life in Saudi Arabia with his new club Al-Ittihad.

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His move to the Gulf state will see him link up with former Premier League stars N’Golo Kante, Moussa Diaby and Fabinho. Karim Benzema remains the star name at the club following his high-profile move from Real Madrid last year.

Bergwijn was one of several players to join the Saudi exodus over the summer, with the likes of Ivan Toney and Kurt Zouma following suit. The former joined Al-Ahli from Brentford in a £40m deal, while the latter signed for Al-Orobah on loan from West Ham.

Others such as Houssem Aouar, Jean Michael Seri, Johann Berg Gudmundsson and William Troost-Ekong also moved to the Saudi Pro League before last week's transfer deadline. Napoli forward Victor Osimhen nearly joined them but a proposed switch to Al-Ahli fell through at the eleventh hour.

Tottenham will be hoping for two players to stand up and be counted as they seek an immediate response to their defeat at Newcastle last weekend. The north Londoners were made to pay for their wastefulness as Harvey Barnes and Alexander Isak fired the hosts to victory.

Spurs drew level after Barnes' opener when Dan Burn turned the ball into his own net to give the visitors a lifeline. However, they failed to find the elusive breakthrough before Isak struck late to claim all three points for the Magpies.

It was a frustrating display from Tottenham, who huffed and puffed in the closing stages without any end product and were made to suffer the consequences. They will be desperate to redeem themselves at the next opportunity by putting Arsenal to the sword in the north London derby.

Tottenham will have the benefit of home advantage but will need two players to shine in order to stand the best chance of victory. Dominic Solanke would provide an extra cutting edge in attack if he recovers from the ankle injury which has seen him miss Tottenham's last two games.

The former Bournemouth striker arrived during the summer and certainly knows where the net is, having scored 19 league goals for the Cherries last season. His proficiency in front of goal could hold the key to a derby day triumph over Arsenal if he is deemed fit enough to play.

Ange Postecoglou revealed after Tottenham's victory over Everton that Solanke's injury was a minor one but warned that he might not return until after the international break. It leaves him in a race against time to recover before Spurs host their fiercest rivals next weekend.

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Micky van de Ven will also be hoping to return to fitness for the visit of Arsenal, having missed the game against Newcastle with a knee problem. He appeared to suffer the injury against Everton and was not risked over the weekend with Postecoglou taking a cautious approach.

Van de Ven recently withdrew from the Netherlands squad over the international break to focus on his recovery. He is expected to be ready to face Arsenal and will be a hugely important asset for Spurs when it comes to stopping the likes of Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz.

It remains to be seen if Tottenham will be able to claim the local bragging rights next weekend, with Arsenal clearly the better side as things stand. However, having Solanke and Van de Ven back in the team will increase their chances of securing a morale-boosting victory.

Arsenal are heading into the North London derby short of midfield options following Declan Rice’s red card against Brighton. Rice will not face Tottenham after being sent off for the first time in his career, with the Gunners unable to appeal against the two yellow cards he received on Sunday.

In a further blow to Mikel Arteta, new signing Mikel Merino is expected to miss several weeks with a shoulder injury suffered in his first training session after joining from Real Sociedad. It is expected that the Spaniard will miss the North London derby, which will take place on September 15 after the international break.

Arteta will need to find a solution to the left-sided No 8 position in his Arsenal team. Rice has played there for much of his time at the club. The departures of Emile Smith Rowe and Fabio Vieira leave a gaping hole, though.

So the ability to re-enter the transfer market for free agents could come in handy for Arsenal. Deals can still be struck if a player has been without a club since before the deadline on August 30.

Former Manchester United target Adrien Rabiot could be an excellent addition, solving Arsenal’s lack of depth in midfield and adding experience to a young squad. His physicality fits the profile of player Arteta has targeted this year.

Rabiot left Juventus at the end of last season and, surprisingly, remains without a club. Only last year, the France international was being linked with a switch to Man Utd for the second summer in a row.

While some may have doubts over Rabiot’s suitability to play for Arsenal, former France striker David Trezeguet has no doubts about the 29-year-old’s quality. He described him as ‘world-class’ when United were linked with a move in 2022.

“We are talking about a problem for Juventus, because in Italy he may have been targeted for criticism, but in France it’s completely different,” Trezeguet said at the time.

“He is world-class, an extraordinary player. Now he will evaluate his options and will go back to being the important player he always was.”

Arsenal had reportedly wanted further depth in midfield before the window closed but prioritised a move for Raheem Sterling. Rabiot would therefore remain an important squad player for the remainder of the campaign, with Arteta’s side set to compete in four competitions.

Tottenham were beaten 2-1 by Newcastle United on Sunday, sending Ange Postecoglou's side into the international break with only one win in their first three Premier League matches of the season.

Spurs had most of the ball but less of the bite as strikes from Harvey Barnes and Alexander Isak won it for the Magpies after Dan Burn's own-goal temporarily levelled the contest.

With Newcastle clinching the spoils and Tottenham licking their wounds, Express Sport takes you through four key talking points from the match...

Spurs experiment flops

Postecoglou was forced to get creative in attack, with Dominic Solanke and Richarlison both out injured. He opted to field Dejan Kulusevski as a false nine, but the experiment only lasted until the half-time interval, at which point Son Heung-min was shifted to the centre. Ultimately, that lack of cutting edge in the first-half is part of the reason Spurs left St. James' Park empty-handed.

£50m misjudgment exposed

Newcastle almost went for broke trying to get another winger through the door on deadline day, with a proposal for Anthony Elanga worth a reported £50million slapped down by Nottingham Forest.

At that price, Elanga would surely have been pushing for a spot in Eddie Howe's starting line-up, likely on the opposite flank to Anthony Gordon. That spot was occupied by Harvey Barnes on Sunday, and he showed his manager that he needn't have bothered with his failed deadline-day bid.

The 26-year-old is deadly around the box, and his finish to turn in Lloyd Kelly's low cross was superb. Miguel Almiron and Jacob Murphy are in reserve, but Barnes should have done enough to keep his place in the side and help the fans forget about Elanga.

Tottenham star aces audition

There were glum faces among Spurs fans when their team sheet revealed that Micky van de Ven would not be fit enough to take his place at the back. His absence opened up a vacancy for Radu Dragusin to fill, and despite the result, he grasped the opportunity with both hands.

The Romanian has been desperate for chances to impress since signing from Genoa in January, but displacing Van de Ven or Cristian Romero has proved nigh on impossible.

Dragusin was mighty against the Magpies, competing well in aerial duels against Joelinton, showing nifty footwork and using his natural pace to his advantage. The highlight of the defender's afternoon saw him make up significant ground on Isak before sliding in to make a potentially goal-saving block.

It remains to be seen whether Postecoglou can find space in his starting line-up to reward him after the international break.

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Linesman trouble

There was a curious stoppage in the early stages of the game as linesman Ian Hussin suffered a freak injury. The official seemed to gesture towards his thigh area as both managers used the break in play to deliver instructions to their players. Hussin and fourth official Darren Bond eventually traded places on an unusual afternoon for those in charge of the contest.

One of the most novel pieces of deadline day business involved a player going absolutely nowhere – at least for now. Tottenham struck two interlinked agreements with Spanish side Real Betis before the transfer window slammed shut until January.

The first was nothing out of the ordinary, with Giovani Lo Celso rejoining the La Liga side after failing to make an impact in north London following his £27million move in January 2020. Having spent the last season-and-a-half out on loan at Villarreal and not being in Ange Postecoglou’s plans, his departure was inevitable, albeit for what appears to be a surprisingly low fee of £3million.

However, that is a nominal figure related to Tottenham’s other piece of business with Betis, which is the part that has raised eyebrows. Spurs have reportedly secured a ‘priority option’ on highly-rated US international midfielder Johnny Cardoso.

That means they will get first refusal to sign the 22-year-old for £25.2million in the future. That is not all. Spurs are said to have negotiated a sell-on clause for Cardoso, meaning they would receive a chunk of the fee if the player signs for another club.

Therefore, Tottenham could financially benefit from the sale of a player who never kicks a ball for the club. However, given Cardoso’s burgeoning reputation for both club and country, it would be a surprise if Spurs don’t take up the option to sign him.

Given that Postecoglou is well-stocked for midfielders, he can afford to wait. Tottenham haven’t commented on the Cardoso agreement and are unlikely to do so.

While it seems like an unusual deal in Premier League circles, such agreements are more common in other parts of the world. It will help Spurs remain at the front of the line for a player who has been linked with the likes of Barcelona and AC Milan.

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While he is a US international, Cardoso, who wears ‘Johnny’ on the back of his shirt, is of Brazilian heritage. Born in New Jersey to Brazilian parents, who uprooted to the States for a better life, his family returned to the South American country after Cardoso came into the world.

He played 144 times for Internacional before securing a move to Betis earlier this year, quickly establishing himself as a first-team regular. Despite split loyalties, Cardoso had no hesitation in committing his international allegiance to the US rather than Brazil.

“When the chance came to play for the US, I didn’t think twice,” he once said, per The Athletic. “I’m representing a country that my parents love.”

Renowned as a tough-tackling anchorman, Cardoso would add some bite to Tottenham’s midfield when – or indeed if – he pulls on the famous white shirt.