Tottenham have provided Notts County with Jack Grealish 2.0 - Aston Villa deal has been replicated | OneFootball

George Abbott has enjoyed an impactful loan spell at Meadow Lane, which stands him in elite company.

Tottenham Hotspur loanee George Abbott has provided Notts County with a repeat of their 2013 loan signing of Jack Grealish from Aston Villa.

The Spurs youngster has received plaudits from all across League Two for his all-action displays in the Notts midfield this season, and he has been one of the club’s and the entire division’s star performers.

The 19-year-old has become a key part of Stuart Maynard’s side and, with four goals and four assists to his name, he brings so much more than just legs in the midfield.

It’s fair to say that the Magpies haven’t really had a young loanee be this influential since an 18-year-old Jack Grealish led them to safety in League One back in 2013/14.

Just like the current Manchester City star did at the time, it is clear that Abbott has the potential to develop into a player of the very highest quality and, if his performances this term are anything to go by, the sky is the limit for the youngster.

Abbott has been outstanding for Notts

Despite this loan spell being his first ever experience of senior men’s football, Abbott has rapidly become one of League Two’s most impressive midfielders.

Given that he was a late loan addition in the final days of the summer transfer window, few would have expected the former Spurs youth captain to come in and have the impact that he has at Meadow Lane.

He forced his way into the side almost immediately and has since become a regular alongside Matty Palmer in the midfield for Maynard’s men.

Abbott’s energy and tenacity were evident right from his home debut against Accrington back in September, but over the course of the season, he has consistently added more to his game.

One of the early observations was that he wasn’t a particularly big influence in the final third, but even that side of his game has come on leaps and bounds in recent months.

He netted his first professional goal in spectacular fashion in November’s FA Cup defeat to League One side Peterborough, lobbing the retreating goalkeeper from distance with the angle against him.

Since then, he has developed quite a catalogue of impressive goals. His stunning half-volley at Cheltenham that kissed the inside of the post on its way to the top corner hit the headlines on social media, before he went one better against Accrington in January, finishing off a deep Palmer corner with a sumptuous volley.

His influence has been clear to see in recent weeks, when Abbott has visibly taken it upon himself to try and drive forward a team that has found it hard to play with creativity and intensity at times of late.

And, although his performances had slipped a little alongside the rest of the team, he was back to his best in the recent win over Grimsby Town.

Abbott’s time at Meadow Lane has been so impressive that it seems inevitable that next year he will be playing at a higher level of football, regardless of whether that is with or without Notts.

The Magpies undoubtedly look a better outfit when Abbott plays well and, with the crucial point of the season approaching in League Two, they will be hoping the midfielder has a few more eye-catching displays in him between now and May.

Notts haven’t had a loanee this influential since Jack Grealish

The story of Jack Grealish’s loan spell in Nottingham is a fairly well-publicised one by now.

The attacker came to the club as a fresh-faced 18-year-old and immediately dazzled in League One with his performances. The youngster looked a cut above the rest of the division at times, and he played with that swagger and arrogance that he has since shown so often at the top level.

He finished the season with five goals and five assists, becoming a key part of Shaun Derry’s side, producing a remarkable ‘great escape’. With nine games to play, Derry’s men found themselves bottom of the League One table and eight points adrift of safety.

Spearheaded by Grealish and Celtic loanee Callum McGregor, Notts went on a remarkable run at the end of the season and ended up surviving relegation with a draw at Oldham Athletic on the final day of the season.

Without Grealish, they simply wouldn’t have had enough quality to achieve that. On the whole, it was a squad of workman-like players, but the Villa loanee elevated them as a collective with his driving runs and the ability to create something out of nothing.

While it is too early to suggest that Abbott could go on and enjoy a similar career to Grealish (by becoming a regular for both his parent club and his country), it certainly isn’t common for a young player to walk straight into men’s football and exert this level of influence over a team.

Having made his Premier League debut and been a part of first-team squads for pre-season tours, Abbott was already extremely highly thought of by Spurs. With the way he has performed this season, they must surely be earmarking him for a huge future.