Hardy starts both pre-season games in Australia as De Zerbi backs 18-year-old defender

Tottenham Hotspur academy defender Malachi Hardy has started both of the club's pre-season fixtures on their Australian tour, drawing praise from head coach Roberto De Zerbi.

De Zerbi singled out the 18-year-old during the tour, telling the club's media in Auckland: "Malachi is another good player for the future of the club."

Hardy featured from the start in a 2-0 win against an Auckland side in New Zealand and then in a 1-1 draw with Sydney FC — a match Tottenham ultimately won on penalties at the Allianz Stadium.

"It's going really well," Hardy said after the Sydney game. "I'm thankful to the manager, he's shown a lot of trust in me and a lot of the boys are getting behind me and supporting me as well. I feel like when I come on and when I start, I know that I can just be comfortable doing what I usually do. So, yeah, it's been really good."

Hardy was one of three academy players in the starting XI against Sydney FC, alongside Tye Hall and Rio Kyerematen, with a further six academy players coming off the bench.

"I think looking forward, especially for the younger ones looking up to us as well, they know that there's a pathway, there's opportunities for all of us," Hardy added. "Quite a lot of us featured and the game before, so it's promising for the future. We know that we can be around it and I think we've all settled in quite well as well, so it's good."