:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66877159/1074357928.jpg.0.jpg)
Tottenham Hotspur are less one youth player today. According to Twitter account @lilywhite_rose, 19-year old fullback Maximus Tainio has left the club for Finnish side FC Haka. He will play football for his father, former Tottenham star Teemu Tainio, who has managed FC Haka in the second division of Finnish football since 2018.
#thfc Maximus Tainio, son of Teemu has left the club and joined Finish side @FCHakaOfficial where he will be managed by his father. The 19 year old was out of contract this summer. Good luck Maxi pic.twitter.com/22ivJogXfq
— Lilywhite Rose (@Lilywhite_Rose) May 30, 2020
Teemu had done some scouting for Spurs around the time when Maxi signed for the club back in 2017, and obviously that connection probably led to a youth contract for his 15 year old son. It sure sounds like if Spurs wanted to offer him a professional contract they probably would’ve done so by now, however, and no one should be surprised or begrudge him wanting to return to Finland to play for his dad.
Maxi did have his dad’s Nordic good looks and the U23 squad will be shorter one glorious head of hair now. It’s important not to understate that kind of loss. Anyway, best of luck to Tainio the Younger in all his future football endeavors.