Mauricio Pochettino expecting big improvement from Spurs starlet Cameron Carter-Vickers

Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino believes young defender Cameron Carter-Vickers has some big improvements to make before he can be considered for the first team.

Carter-Vickers, 19, is part of the Tottenham squad currently in the US as part of their pre-season tour, and has featured in friendlies against both Paris Saint-Germain and Roma.

The US U-23 international gave away a penalty which led to Diego Perotti scoring the opener for Roma, and was replaced at half-time with his side a goal behind.

"We need to judge him in a collective sense, he is young and needs to improve and learn a lot," Pochettino said after the 3-2 defeat to the Serie A side, football.london reports.

Pochettino was keen to stress, however, that Carter-Vickers and the host of other youngsters handed an opportunity during pre-season so far will be given time to settle and adjust to the demands he places on his first-team players.

"He is a potential player, yes. But then we will see what happens in the end. He is like different players like Kyle Walker-Peters and Josh Onomah and today Anthony Georgiou and Tashan [Oakley-Boothe]. Different players that are with us and have the possibility to play, to learn and show their quality, but it is important that we are talking about players that are so young and need time to settle into the first team and squad."

The Spurs boss has lavished glowing praise on Carer-Vickers in the past, backing the American to become "one of the best centre-backs in England in the future" in September last year.

"He has a strong mentality and all the qualities for playing centre-back," Pochettino said at the time. "Does he remind me of myself as a player? No, he is better than me. I said one of the best centre-backs in England."