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Go to 1:34 of this video. I've never heard a manager give the backroom people as much credit as MP.
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Who is Tottenham Hotspur's new chief scout, Steve Hitchen?
Hitchen is set to embark on his second spell at the club.
Rhodri Cannon By Rhod Cannon
February 9, 2017 19:00 GMT
01:2612 crazy Premier League stats
12 crazy Premier League stats IBTimes UK
Tottenham have appointed Steve Hitchen as their chief scout as they continue to revamp their recruitment system. Hitchen was previously part of the scouting network at White Hart Lane when Harry Redknapp was at the helm and will report to a three-strong committee including Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino, chairman Daniel Levy and Head of Football Operations Rebecca Caplehorn.
Tottenham have seen a lot of change to their recruitment team in recent months; Paul Mitchell, who previously worked with Pochettino at Southampton, is currently working his notice period after handing his resignation in in August, while The Independent reports senior scout Ian Broomfield left the club in December. Hitchen, whose most recent role in football was as Derby County's Director of Recruitment, will fill the position vacated by Broomfield, who had a hand in bringing the likes of Eric Dier and Toby Alderweireld to to White Hart Lane.
More from IBTimes UK
Mauricio Pochettino confirms Steve Hitchen's appointment as Spurs' new chief scout
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Georges-Kevin N'Koudou could leave Tottenham amid Nantes interest
Mitchell joined Spurs as the Head of Recruitment and Analysis in the summer of 2014 but became disillusioned with the club's transfer policy. The Evening Standard claimed Mitchell was frustrated by Tottenham's failure to complete a deal for Chelsea's Michy Batshuayi, who has been starved of game-time at Stamford Bridge last summer. He had scouted the Belgian international extensively, but Spurs eventually plumped for the misfiring Vincent Janssen.
With all the turbulence and upheaval surrounding Spurs' scouting system, they will be counting on Hitchen, who has specialist knowledge in European football, to slot seamlessly back into life at White Hart Lane. He first arrived at the club in 2005 and departed in 2010. His most notable action during that time was identifying Luka Modric, then of Dinamo Zagreb, and pushing Tottenham to part with £17m to sign him. The Croatian is now one of the best midfielders in the world and a two-time Champions League winner.
Hitchen, who is predominantly based in Angers, later became part of Liverpool's set-up and is believed to have played a big part in bringing Luis Suarez to Anfield in January 2011. The Uruguayan, much like Modric, has gone on to win titles in Spain with Barcelona and is one of the finest players in world football. The 40-year-old developed a rapport with the much-maligned Damien Comoli while based in France and Redknapp expressed his disappointment at losing him to the Reds and lavished praise on Hitchen.
Steve Hitchen
Hitchen pictured during his playing days for Macclesfield Town. Getty Images
"Damien knows the French scene especially, and he's got a big scouting network," Redknapp told The Telegraph back in November 2010. "In fact, we have just lost our French scout, who is excellent.
"He's just gone to Liverpool, so he's nicked him off us a bit lively. It's a boy called Steve Hitchen and he was really good, an English boy who lived in France. He's gone to Liverpool. But he was very, very good and we liked him a lot. He would have been our main scout abroad."
Hitchen left Anfield along with Comoli as Liverpool's owners, much like Tottenham, set about revamping their recruitment system. He teamed up with Redknapp again when Queens Park Rangers appointed him as their Head of European Recruitment in August 2012. After three-and-a-half years at Loftus Road Hitchen joined up with Derby, but his spell at the iPro Stadium did not last long as he was relieved of his duties shortly after Nigel Pearson was sacked in October.
Though he is perhaps best known for his scouting career, Hitchen did enjoy a nine-year spell as a player and had stints with Blackburn Rovers, Macclesfield Town and Bangor City. Spurs fans will be more interested in his knowledge off the pitch rather than his skills on it, as their club can ill-afford another underwhelming transfer window.
https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/who-tottenham-hotspurs-new-chief-scout-steve-hitchen-1605692
Hitchen is set to embark on his second spell at the club.
Rhodri Cannon By Rhod Cannon
February 9, 2017 19:00 GMT
01:2612 crazy Premier League stats
12 crazy Premier League stats IBTimes UK
Tottenham have appointed Steve Hitchen as their chief scout as they continue to revamp their recruitment system. Hitchen was previously part of the scouting network at White Hart Lane when Harry Redknapp was at the helm and will report to a three-strong committee including Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino, chairman Daniel Levy and Head of Football Operations Rebecca Caplehorn.
Tottenham have seen a lot of change to their recruitment team in recent months; Paul Mitchell, who previously worked with Pochettino at Southampton, is currently working his notice period after handing his resignation in in August, while The Independent reports senior scout Ian Broomfield left the club in December. Hitchen, whose most recent role in football was as Derby County's Director of Recruitment, will fill the position vacated by Broomfield, who had a hand in bringing the likes of Eric Dier and Toby Alderweireld to to White Hart Lane.
More from IBTimes UK
Mauricio Pochettino confirms Steve Hitchen's appointment as Spurs' new chief scout
Jurgen Klopp could drop Liverpool talisman Adam Lallana for Tottenham clash
Georges-Kevin N'Koudou could leave Tottenham amid Nantes interest
Mitchell joined Spurs as the Head of Recruitment and Analysis in the summer of 2014 but became disillusioned with the club's transfer policy. The Evening Standard claimed Mitchell was frustrated by Tottenham's failure to complete a deal for Chelsea's Michy Batshuayi, who has been starved of game-time at Stamford Bridge last summer. He had scouted the Belgian international extensively, but Spurs eventually plumped for the misfiring Vincent Janssen.
With all the turbulence and upheaval surrounding Spurs' scouting system, they will be counting on Hitchen, who has specialist knowledge in European football, to slot seamlessly back into life at White Hart Lane. He first arrived at the club in 2005 and departed in 2010. His most notable action during that time was identifying Luka Modric, then of Dinamo Zagreb, and pushing Tottenham to part with £17m to sign him. The Croatian is now one of the best midfielders in the world and a two-time Champions League winner.
Hitchen, who is predominantly based in Angers, later became part of Liverpool's set-up and is believed to have played a big part in bringing Luis Suarez to Anfield in January 2011. The Uruguayan, much like Modric, has gone on to win titles in Spain with Barcelona and is one of the finest players in world football. The 40-year-old developed a rapport with the much-maligned Damien Comoli while based in France and Redknapp expressed his disappointment at losing him to the Reds and lavished praise on Hitchen.
Steve Hitchen
Hitchen pictured during his playing days for Macclesfield Town. Getty Images
"Damien knows the French scene especially, and he's got a big scouting network," Redknapp told The Telegraph back in November 2010. "In fact, we have just lost our French scout, who is excellent.
"He's just gone to Liverpool, so he's nicked him off us a bit lively. It's a boy called Steve Hitchen and he was really good, an English boy who lived in France. He's gone to Liverpool. But he was very, very good and we liked him a lot. He would have been our main scout abroad."
Hitchen left Anfield along with Comoli as Liverpool's owners, much like Tottenham, set about revamping their recruitment system. He teamed up with Redknapp again when Queens Park Rangers appointed him as their Head of European Recruitment in August 2012. After three-and-a-half years at Loftus Road Hitchen joined up with Derby, but his spell at the iPro Stadium did not last long as he was relieved of his duties shortly after Nigel Pearson was sacked in October.
Though he is perhaps best known for his scouting career, Hitchen did enjoy a nine-year spell as a player and had stints with Blackburn Rovers, Macclesfield Town and Bangor City. Spurs fans will be more interested in his knowledge off the pitch rather than his skills on it, as their club can ill-afford another underwhelming transfer window.
https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/who-tottenham-hotspurs-new-chief-scout-steve-hitchen-1605692
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Alderweireld, Dier, Moura.
I think I love this guy too.
I think I love this guy too.
Spursex
Alert Team
Steve allegedly took alot of flack pushing what some have credited to him the 'no second choice' buying policy - Poch went to bat on it with Levy, and I'm led to believe it was only a united front that convinced the board to not spend...
Took balls from Steve to do that, especially when some were and are doubting the quality of his two top picks, Aurier and Moura.
I know Moura was a real fight to get over the line and because of Steve's base in France for so many years has a deep insight to the French league and the contacts that go with it.
Fingers crossed after the upheaval in our scouting dept all but behind us now, Steve will do what I know he;s capable of.
He is said to have a really has a first class footballing brain and the experience and ambition to match.
Took balls from Steve to do that, especially when some were and are doubting the quality of his two top picks, Aurier and Moura.
I know Moura was a real fight to get over the line and because of Steve's base in France for so many years has a deep insight to the French league and the contacts that go with it.
Fingers crossed after the upheaval in our scouting dept all but behind us now, Steve will do what I know he;s capable of.
He is said to have a really has a first class footballing brain and the experience and ambition to match.
RichmondSpur
Vital Football Hero
Second, third and fourth behind Modric. Maybe, if Lucas continues to change my initial opinion about him I might review.
Spursex
Alert Team
Rich, your initial opinion should have already changed, just from what you've seen last night.
freundorfoe
Vital 1st Team Regular
He wasn't with us when we signed Toby or Dier though was he? or have I missed something?
Moura isn't an unknown. He's been on the radar since Fergie failed to sign him at least - so whilst I'm thrilled we got him, it's in no small part down to luck as PSG's greed caused them to demote Lucas when they signed Neymar and M'Bappe.
That said, if he really went to bat and persuaded Poch & others that Lucas was the one to pit our future hopes on, and did any of the wrangling that got him to us for such a reasonable fee then he deserves all the praise... and much more if Lucas continues this form for the season.
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I misread that sentence in the article.
On the other side of things, scouting is also knowing how to get the deal done as far as a scout can. We have Moura. Hitchen snagged him and sold management on him.
Buy the man several beers.
RichmondSpur
Vital Football Hero
I'm now seeing the baseline level of skills we paid £25m for which was often missing last season. Yesterday has started to change my opinion about him. Now we need consistency, polish and increased levels of threat with regular end product. When he can tick all those boxes I'll be converted.
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Nick Real Deal
Vital Football Legend
In one of those he went missing I seem to remember.
Brilliant observation 80 .............love it
Well played my friend, well played
RichmondSpur
Vital Football Hero
From what I’ve seen so far this season and the skillset he brings to the table, he’s more likely to change a game and make a difference than Alli is.
Greavesaboveall
Vital Youth Team
Good scouting is essential for a club that deals on a shoestring budget.That's us, until Joe Lewis sells the club. I'll be glad if Sept arrives without us losing any players on loan or sold .Go on holiday Daniel & leave our squad alone.It's a long hard season & we need all our players here not helping other clubs.
What make you think we would be better off under new ownership, that is a huge assumption with no basis as far as I can see.
It comes to something when it is considered a bad thing to run a football club in a prudent and correct manner.
This attitude that if an owner doesn't pump 100's of millions of their own money into a club that somehow they are bad owners is totally off the mark IMO.
Consider a situation where 10 owners spend £500m over a two year period on their teams, how many of them can win the league?
If that situation arises, who actually benefits? Where does all that money actually go?
For me pumping vast sums of money into a club only works if one or two clubs do it, like PSG for example.
In the PL only Citeh and Chelski have done it, plus you now have the fair play rule to consider.
Real Deal
Alert Team
The amount of money being spent should be about balance and knowing when the right time to spend a bit more is needed.
This summer as the squad is we only needed one player IMO.
Breaking even every transfer window is not the answer. Spending 100's of millions isn't the answer either.
We might get away with it this season by not spending anything time will tell. One things for sure we can't do that every year.
This summer as the squad is we only needed one player IMO.
Breaking even every transfer window is not the answer. Spending 100's of millions isn't the answer either.
We might get away with it this season by not spending anything time will tell. One things for sure we can't do that every year.
muttley
Alert Team
Worth remembering that the transfer window is as much about selling as buying. We didn't clear the decks and the reality is that players turn 21 and move from free-picks to registered players. That increases our quota of senior player and reduces our manoeuvrability in the transfer market.
Despite our contract statuses with guys like Toby and Dembele, if we entered the Jan transfer window without N'Koudou, Sissoko and Llorente there would be a much higher chance of landing a big fish that could help us win trophies. The savings in salaries on those 3 and the increase in value of the viable alternatives like Amos and Onomah would make it an equal football decision as financial one.
There's also no loan players like Bentaleb or Fazio with pre-negotiated transfer fees generating £20m+ transfers fees into our coffers. Such a shame that Levy and co have lost the plot right now in the transfer market.
Despite our contract statuses with guys like Toby and Dembele, if we entered the Jan transfer window without N'Koudou, Sissoko and Llorente there would be a much higher chance of landing a big fish that could help us win trophies. The savings in salaries on those 3 and the increase in value of the viable alternatives like Amos and Onomah would make it an equal football decision as financial one.
There's also no loan players like Bentaleb or Fazio with pre-negotiated transfer fees generating £20m+ transfers fees into our coffers. Such a shame that Levy and co have lost the plot right now in the transfer market.
