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MacAnthony releases length Facebook statement on McGee

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Image for MacAnthony releases length Facebook statement on McGee

Peterborough chairman Darragh MacAnthony has hit out at Tottenham over their stance of Luke McGee in a lengthy Facebook post after he transferred to Portsmouth on Wednesday.

The 21-year-old goalkeeper spent the last season on loan at MacAnthony’s side in League One and was named the clubs Players’ Player of the Year after a fine campaign.

MacAnthony has since made it clear that he would have liked to have brought McGee back to his side and that he was in talks with Tottenham over a new move.

But, the young stopper ended up completing a permanent transfer to Portsmouth on Wednesday, which caused MacAntony to take to social media and reveal the details to his own supporters, while also taking digs at Spurs over the way they went about their business.

“So seems to be lot of frustration from some fans over signing of Luke by Pompey this morning and few people thinking an explanation by club is due over it. It isn’t but ill give you the facts on it all,” started MacAnthony on his personal Facebook page.

“At end of last season we made it clear to Spurs we wanted to sign him permanently or on loan for full season. Luke wanted to come back and sign for us as it was clear his path into Spurs first team was near on impossible as his young age. We throughout May and June spoke with relevant parties at Spurs about our intentions and were constantly told he was at that moment 3rd choice and until another GK was signed, there was no chance Spurs would have conversation over him moving. And if he did move, it would be August time when that would happen. We even asked for a price if we were to purchase him but again no feedback from Spurs. 2 weeks ago with pre season about to start and not having a Number 1 GK we reached out to Spurs to ask one last time could a deal be done so Luke could come away on pre season camp with us but met with same response so we took decision to move on to other targets. We were delighted to Sign J Bond and i think he will be fantastic for our team as was Luke when we signed him. Of course I’m irked/irritated to see Luke sign perm for Pompey due to above circumstances but not shocked either as Kenny J worked at Spurs recently and as we know in football especially with Prem Clubs, its always WHO you know etc. Its why i want to get away from taking loans from Prem Clubs as i hate having to adhere to their terms/timelines/way of dealing as most of the time its a horribly one sided affair & something one day i hope to be behind the push for change on as it does no favours for younger under 21 players not getting into prem teams and who need discipline of football league game time & to turn into men. Anyhow i wish Luke well as he’s a fantastic young man & Pompey have themselves a good one. More importantly its time for fans to stop worrying about who we didn’t sign and to focus and support who we have signed and who is in the building playing for us with full attention on winning promotion.”

As mentioned by MacAnthony in his statement Peterborough have since brought in goalkeeper Jonathan Bond on loan from Reading until January.

However, it is clear that he would have wanted to bring in McGee, who was behind both Hugo Lloris and Michel Vorm in the Tottenham goalkeeping pecking order.

The young goalkeeper is now likely to line-up against Peterborough in the next campaign with Kenny Jackett’s Portsmouth side preparing for their first season back in England’s third tier.

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