National League outfit York City have today confirmed the loan signing of young winger Ollie Tanner from Championship club Cardiff City.
The 20-year-old is best known for when he hit the headlines in January 2022 after a proposed move to Tottenham Hotspur fell through due to personal terms, while he was playing for non-league club Lewes.
Since gaining nationwide interest, Tanner has ended up with the Bluebirds, and now prepares to head to North Yorkshire.
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Career so far
Born in Bromley, Tanner would play youth football at Charlton Athletic and Arsenal, before going on to sign for his hometown club in 2019.
Alongside the two other youth academies that he played within, Bromley also featured in his early career, prior to a senior contract.
The winger made just two appearances for the Ravens in the Vanarama National League across a spell which lasted from 2019 to 2021.
His next move was a free transfer to Isthmian League Premier Division side Lewes in August 2021.
Down at the Dripping Pan, Tanner made quite a name for himself, scoring 13 times in 34 appearances. His raw talent picked up a lot of interest while at Lewes too.
Most predominantly, it was Premier League big guns Tottenham Hotspur who had keen interest in the non-league superstar, and had allegedly offered him a mouth-watering six-figure contract back in January last year.
Lewes admitted they had accepted the offer from Spurs, but the deal couldn't be finalized and fell through due to personal terms.
Tanner remained with the Rooks for the remainder of the season, continuing to bang in goals for fun.
As the end of the 2021/22 campaign grew near, it was Cardiff City's turn to bid for the promising winger.
The Bluebirds made the move official in June, batting away interest from other clubs to secure the signature of the 20-year-old until 2024.
It would be the youngster's first experience in full-time football.
Although yet to hold an EFL Championship appearance to his name, an inclusion in the matchday substitutes on the opening day of the season is held by Tanner.
He did however achieve a place in the starting eleven for Cardiff's EFL Cup opener against Portsmouth, which they unfortunately went on to lose 3-0.
Another notable moment for the new Minsterman was his goal in a memorial match, ending in a 3-1 win over Aston Villa.
Just days before the loan to York was finalized and confirmed, Tanner came off the bench in an Emirates FA Cup tie with Leeds - a 2-2 draw means the game will have to be decided by a replay next week.
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Manager's Comments
Tanner is manager David Webb's second recruit since he was appointed to the club in early December.
Webb spoke to the press to give his thoughts on getting the loan deal done: "Ollie is a player I have known since he's been with Arsenal in the academy.
"He's got good experience of playing in this league, and he's attracted a lot of attention from his performances last year from Tottenham and other big clubs.
"I have a good relationship with Mark Hudson (Cardiff manager), and he said, 'he's a fantastic lad, he works hard every day, even though he's not been given the minutes.'
"He's a player that trains with the first team every day, he's used to that environment and can add some quality to our group", Webb added.
"I've spoken to (Ollie) a few times on the phone and he seems like a confident lad, he's really looking forward to comi88⁹ng in and get working, and he's taken a real interest in doing some research on York.
"I think he's going to add real value to us. He's an exciting player, is very good in 1v1 situations, likes to drive at players and is very creative."
Tanner will be available for York's Isuzu FA Trophy Fourth Round tie at home to Chelmsford City on Saturday.