Not a lot of women’s footballers are outright labelled as future superstars, especially when you consider Grace Clinton’s case who’s not even yet made any feature debut for Manchester United, her original parent club. But her consecutively splendid loan spells, first with Bristol and now Spurs make a case for why she’s actually a bonafide candidate to become one of the best in the business.
After being an important part of Bristol City’s WSL promotion by winning the championship with her contributions, she’s already become a important member of Spurs squad, with Robert Vilahamn considering her a “starting number 10 for England in future”.
Video Scouting: How best to Describe Grace Clinton’s profile as a player
Vid 1: Grace Clinton’s all actions vs Chelsea
Clinton’s the kind of player that loves a lot of freedom in the final 3rd. As such she loves receiving a lot in the half areas to either dribble outwards or inside to play through her teammates. In Vid 1 above, you can see her often receiving across multiple areas, playing as a LW and a pure 10 at same time, in what can be a 4-2-3-1/4-4-1-1 for Spurs across their variations in possession.
It’d be a bit damning but it’s watching a mini version of Ricardo Kaka playing. Maybe it’s not very easy to fit her in a very restrictive role with respect to her on ball duties, but in this Spurs side, with the freedom Vilahamn has given her on where to drop and how to receive to express herself in the final 3rd. This perhaps, in my assumption should lay a groundwork for a future Spurs transfer from United if it can. Don’t get me wrong, but maybe this Spurs side is so well suited for her growth, tactically and otherwise.
Even if that doesn’t happen, it’s not like United won’t make the best possible of her profile. She’s got the rare skill of eye for a pass and eye for goal both, which any team will always find useful. A usage of her in a False 9 role perhaps might unlock her potential better.
Grace Clinton’s Season with Spurs so Far and her early career: Looking through the data Lens and U19 days
Pic 1: Clinton’s collection of games with Spurs
Clinton’s games with Spurs so far have seen her play a variety of roles, just as we described what we saw she can do with Vid 1. Her eye for pass appeals most coaches to deploy her anywhere in a role ranging from free moving forward on the left to even a deep lying midfielder or an 8 (do watch that heatmap of hers in the 2nd pitch of 2nd row in Pic 1). It makes her profile even more valuable and amongst women’s footballers, a quite useful one more often comparatively to men’s.
Able to make and dictate plays both outwide and centrally is a gift to have though I predict that Grace’s future can significantly in central roles can progress her career better. Think of her career graph as how it went for Bernardo Silva. She can go from her role she’s playing now to being a controller in a top team. Her game at Spurs from Bristol City has changed, significantly. Maybe her early days with England might give a better insight.
Vid 2: Clinton’s snippet in her u19 with England
In the above video you could clearly see her 1st assist, from the right hand side using strong upper body strength to hold her opponent off yet have the technique to turn and keep control of ball to play a pass between the line to keep her teammate inch perfect onside. That right there what makes Grace special, just pure vision of the game, the players just position themselves as she plays the pass because that’s how good it is.
Yet this part of her game is different now because she’s more about her combinational play at Spurs if you refer back to Vid 1. Now that’s the game evolution, because in U19, her role saw here turn out in a 3-4-2-1 and at spurs it’s more 4-2-3-1/4-4-1-1. She can play any system as long a coach can give her the freedom to move zones, and hence why maybe her best improvement should come in learning how to do all that brilliance sometimes sticking to a certain zone (not making a disparity in Positional or Apositional approaches to players but the fact that it may bring the best out of Grace).
Grace Clinton – Conclusion
United have perhaps one of the most important talents of English women’s football or even Women’s football in general. They haven’t got a taste of it yet in their own ground but at North London, playing for their rivals Spurs would have probably created enough interest on her on a big scale now. For now it can be early to say, maybe, but Grace Clinton can be a proper torchbearer for Man United in coming years if she does manage to get a spot next season. Right now with Spurs, it’s no doubt the best place for her, to get all that potential come out.