Tottenham striker Rodel Richards believes their young players will be better off for competing in this season's EFL Trophy.

Defeat to Gillingham at Priestfield on Tuesday night saw Spurs knocked out of the competition.

“It's been really good to be able to play as many minutes as I have. That has really helped me," Richards told the club's website. “It's good to be able to contribute and help the team week in, week out, but I need to keep improving, keep listening to what the coaches say and hopefully we can get some better results as the weeks go on.

“If I'm honest, I have to keep working hard with my goalscoring and see how it goes. I've been trying to get into the right areas and as the season progresses I'm going to see if I can get over that double-digit mark. It's important to learn, have the right attitude and give everything – that's what I plan to do."