One could say 4th choice goalkeeper Alfie Whiteman is leaving the dream life at Tottenham Hotspur.
A part of the Tottenham dressing room, training alongside the best players without the pressure of matchday performance or public scrutiny, and being able to enjoy your life outside the pitch while earning £7500 per week salary.
Who is Alfie Whiteman?
The 25-year-old is a local lad who was born and brought up in Tottenham and is a lifelong Spurs fan. He attended Park View School in Tottenham and joined the Tottenham Academy full-time in the summer of 2015.
Having progressed through the academy ranks, the Englishman made his debut for Tottenham’s Under-18s during the 2014/15 season. In his inaugural full season with the Under-18s, he started 12 league games and featured in both of the team’s FA Youth Cup matches. Subsequently, he made his debut for the Under-21s in September 2015 and went on to play 32 games with the squad.
Apparently, that was when the goalkeeper’s career at Tottenham came to a pause.
Despite regularly training with Tottenham’s first-team goalkeepers, including Hugo Lloris, Michel Vorm, and Paulo Gazzaniga, for a couple of seasons, the 1.89m goalkeeper found it challenging to break into the squad alongside them. Furthermore, with the emergence of Fraser Forster and Brandon Austin, his preference dwindled further. As a result, the Englishman became merely a name on Tottenham’s squad list.
However, surprisingly, in 2019, Tottenham took to social media to reveal that they had signed a new professional deal with the reserve goalkeeper, keeping him in North London until 2022.
But that didn’t overturn his fortunes. Since then, Whiteman, who wears number 41 on his shirt, has made only one first-team appearance for Spurs. The moment came when he replaced Joe Hart in the 82nd minute of a Europa League match against Bulgarian club Ludogorets in November 2020.
Alfie Whiteman eventually joined Swedish side Degerfors on loan during their 2021 season before returning to Spurs. Later, he rejoined them on loan for the 2022 season, gaining valuable experience playing regular football in the Swedish top flight before returning to the Premier League once again.
But then again, with Guglielmo Vicario joining the club, the 25-year-old found himself back to warming the reserve bench.
Although still in contact with the club, when he is not training with the team, Alfie has apparently pursued a career as a DJ, producer, and radio presenter for BBC Benji B. Additionally, Whiteman now hosts a show on NTS Radio called “Sweet Tooth w/ Alfie.”.
In each episode, Whiteman shares what he’s been listening to that month to help him get through the sadness at the start of the year. This show offers a mix of music genres, including folk, soul, psychedelic rock, and jazz fusion. You can listen to “Sweet Tooth w/ Alfie” on NTS, SoundCloud, and Mixcloud.
If this unexpected career choice surprises you, then prepare to be amazed, because Tottenham announced in 2023 that they have once again signed Whiteman to a new contract, extending his stay at the club until 2025.
Speaking to Tottenham after his contract renewal, Whiteman admitted, “I have been here since 9 or 10 years old, so to extend for another few more years is something that I am proud of.”
“I’ve been a life-long fan, we can see the stadium from my parent’s home… I’m living the dream.”
Speaking of his admiration towards Hugo Lloris, he claims, “Been there for a while now, since I was 17, when I was first on the bench and he was the first-team keeper. Learnt a lot from him, seeing him in the dressing room and at halftime, pre-game, post-game, and in training every day. He is someone I look up to.”
But he did not forget to mention his compatriots of the position: “And then of course, me and Brandon come up a long way from the academy, so we have a bit of mutual respect and push each other every day, and it’s been really nice to meet Fraser and work with him. He is an unbelievable professional and a great guy, and of course, a top goalkeeper who has played many games.”
“Just trying to learn as much as I can from each one because everyone is different and can bring different things to the table.”
Having said all that, it seems that the real MVP in this scenario was Whiteman’s agent, Remington Ellis Management, who somehow convinced Tottenham for the extension, and that too with a salary hike.
Remington Ellis Management is a US-based sports marketing agency that represents professional soccer players, eSports athletes, and soccer media. They boast a number of renowned players like Jack Harrison and Alistair Johnston in their current client list.
According to previous contract details from Capology, Alfie Whiteman was committed to a three-year deal worth £600,000, with an annual salary of £200,000. However, in the latest contract signed in 2024 for a duration of two years, the goalkeeper’s annual salary has increased to £390,000.
The numbers are indeed surprising. On his EA FC 24 card, Alfie Whiteman’s value is rated at £500K with a wage of £8.4K. Speaking of FC 24, the goalkeeper’s rating is 63 with a potential rating of 70 (+9 Growth). He is classified as a medium attacking right-footed player with medium work rate and medium defensive work rate.
So, why did Tottenham agree to sign a new deal? Could it be solely out of the affection of being the academy homeboy? Or perhaps signing an extension makes Whiteman a more marketable asset for the future? This is something to keep an eye on. However, Alfie Whiteman certainly doesn’t seem to be complaining about living his dream life.
