Luongo, a central midfielder, signed for the London club in January, 2011.

The 20-year-old from Sydney is in the final year of his contract at White Hart Lane though he has an option.

His only full senior appearance Spurs came as a substitute for Harry Redknapp in the Carling Cup against Stoke City in 2011, though he’s been on the bench and played a couple of senior friendlies for the club.

Like a number of younger Spurs players, he has been loaned out to gain senior experience. In his case Spurs technical director Tim Sherwood arranged a Championship club loan last season to Ipswich under then Town manager Paul Jewell.

“It was a 360 degree change from playing reserve games. The crowds were very big at Ipswich with pressure and playing for points and the Championship is very quick. It was an eye-opener. It’s not that simple dropping down leagues,” Luongo told au.fourfourtwo.com before flying back to the UK.

The Aussie was named player of the month at Portman Road but after Jewell parted ways with the club, Luongo was sent back to London after 11 appearances in League and Cup for the Tractor Boys.

This paved the way for a late season Swindon Town loan deal after Paolo Di Canio left the Reds.

“Mass” was one of three Spurs lads to make the loan move with Dean Parrett and Nathan Byrne also linking with the League One promotion-chasers.

Luongo played nine times for Town including in the play-offs. Swindon lost to Brentford but for the Australian it was still a memorable experience.

“I scored in the first leg and it was one of the best feelings I’ve had.

“It’s even more intense, which makes it even harder than the Championship," he said of the standard.

“It’s a real battle and a big experience for me. Coming from Tottenham where we all pass the ball, keep it. But I adapted quickly.”

Last pre-season the former St George and APIA Leichhardt junior trained with the Spurs first team and he will find out shortly if he’s part of the senior group again for this pre-season and the club’s tour to Hong Kong.  

“When I get the chance to train with the first team it’s interesting because AVB works on trying to make them better players irrespective of their age. It’s about development and he’s very much part of every drill on the training pitch,” Luongo said.

Needless to say, training with superstar Gareth Bale is one of the highlights of being a player these days. The Aussie concedes he was a little starstruck around the likes of Luka Modric and Rafael Van Der Vaart but he’s now getting accustomed to having the superstar Welshman around the club.

“He’s brilliant. In training you don’t really see what he’s like compared to when he plays in a game. He’s just got a presence and if anything you’re kind of in awe of him. You see him do things on the park on TV then you see him in the corridor and he’s just got this presence.

“Training with him, anything can happen when you’re on his team. If you’re playing against him he can pull anything out of the bag.

“And yet even though he’s one of the best players in the world he’s also one of the quietest players you’d meet. He keeps to himself. He’s not like Michael Dawson who’d talk to you about stuff.

“The training sessions under AVB are very demanding but Gareth’s so fit. It’s easy for him, he runs all day. When he’s on the ball he can outrun you – he makes you look unfit.”

Luongo, whose father is Italian by birth, described his first appearance for Spurs as a “full-on” experience. Sadly he missed a penalty in that game but didn’t look out of place after coming on as a second half substitute.

 His path to the Premier League didn’t come through the usual national youth squad pathway. A friendly against Spurs for his Sydney academy side opened the door three years ago.

As for the green and gold, Luongo’s experiences have been mixed.

Luongo was called up for a Young Socceroos and Socceroos camp in Germany in early 2011. But an injury playing for Spurs restricted his output though he met Holger Osieck, Aurelio Vidmar and Han Berger at the camp.

A few months later he was called into a Young Socceroo training squad also in Germany. There his ability to train was again restricted after picking up an injury in the first session. However then U20 coach Jan Versleijen appeared seemingly unimpressed, claimed the player.

“He didn’t like me basically. He said I don’t work hard enough. But at Tottenham I’m the hard working midfielder. I was injured in that camp and couldn’t run, that’s why. They tried to push me. I tried but I couldn’t even run. He [Versleijen] was having a go at me saying, “You need to run more”. And I said I’m struggling to even run.

“I haven’t had any contact since but I want to play for Australia. If I make it big here hopefully. I don’t find any interest in playing for Italy. It’s Australia for me but it’s out of my hands right now.”

Luongo, who lives in digs about a minute from the club’s training base, concedes another loan deal this season may happen though he all but ruled out an A-League loan spell.

“English football is somewhere where I’d like to make my name in. And the lifestyle here’s just all football, football. I like living here. I’m not homesick one bit.”