Praise heaped on former Tottenham prodigy as he tries to rebuild career – “leader by example”

Too much, too soon.

This feels like the perfect description of what happened to John Bostock, once labelled England’s next golden boy following an early move to Tottenham, now playing for Lens in France’s Ligue 2.

The 24-year-old, who made his debut aged 15 for Crystal Palace back in 2007 before a transfer to Tottenham the following summer, seems to be settling nicely in the north of France, having scored five goals in nine appearances for his new side so far.

Already on his 10th club, the midfielder is quickly becoming an important part of Alain Casanova’s side as the player continues to try and rebuild his career following a series of loan spells during his time at Tottenham and three years in Belgium.

Bostock recently scored two goals in a 4-2 win over US Orleans, including a panenka, and his manager, speaking to Lensois.com, praised his mentality above everything else.

He said: “He’s like the great players I love to have. He’s someone who, even in difficult times, shows a superior mental strength.

“He’s an important player for us. He’s a player who is very demanding with himself, and he does that to the team too. He has the ability, like others, to be a leader by example with his attitude.”

Seemingly landing back on his feet after a few years in footballing wilderness, it’s always nice to see a player trying to rebuild his career the hard way.

Who knows? If he continues like this, it could be only a matter of time before we see the former Tottenham youngster grace English football pitches again.