Spurs' Kyle Walker-Peters Credits an 'Education Before Football' Approach as Reason for His Success

Tottenham's newest young star, Kyle Walker-Peters has revealed the notion of 'education before football' gave him a good foundation to build upon before he

Tottenham's newest young star, Kyle Walker-Peters has revealed the notion of 'education before football' gave him a good foundation to build upon before he began focussing all his attention on improving his game. 

The 20-year-old - fresh from signing a new five-year deal with Spurs - has skyrocketed from obscurity straight into the Premier League spotlight, and he credits his success to his parents who kept him 'on a good path.'

Growing up around Tottenham, Walker-Peters dreamt of making his senior bow for Spurs, which he achieved against Newcastle on the opening weekend, and he claims education is a key reason why he is where he is.

OLLY GREENWOOD/GettyImages

“My dad always used to say ‘education before football’ which I guess is a good foundation to have because things like that are important and once you’ve got that right, you push that to the side and then you can really focus on your football," he told the club's website.

“That’s what I did when I got to the age of 16. I made sure I got good grades and then I was able to solely focus on my football and that really did help me.

Delighted to sign a new contract with @SpursOfficial thank you for all the support & messages 💙 pic.twitter.com/uzDmJh25UH

— Kyle Walker-Peters (@KWPeters) August 23, 2017

Walker-Peters also hopes to be living proof that young aspiring footballers in the Tottenham area can one day follow in his foot steps and play for the club. 

He added: “Obviously it’s good for the community, to show them that someone from that area...all it takes is hard work and dedication and you can make something of yourself.

“I did that with the help of my parents, Dennis and Mary. They always tried to keep me grounded and they’ve always made sure that I’ve been smart with the decisions I make. They have kept me on a good path.

Despite helping England secure the Under-20s World Cup, making his Tottenham debut, and signing a new deal, the 20-year-old is eager to keep pushing forward.

“I agree, once you’ve set a high standard for yourself, the hard part is then maintaining it and really pushing yourself to improve,” he said.

“You don’t want to become comfortable and think, okay, I’ve made one appearance, I did well...I’ve put that appearance to the back of my mind. It’s always something I’ll look back on but now it’s about the next appearance and to continue learning.”