Football pundit Paddy Kenny has claimed that Matt Doherty won’t be at Tottenham Hotspur next season, despite the right-back's recent resurgence.

The Lowdown: Doherty's minutes this season

Following Emerson Royal’s red card against Arsenal earlier this month, the Republic of Ireland international came off the bench for the last 18 minutes as Spurs fell to a 3-1 defeat at the Emirates Stadium. It marked his first league appearance since the opening day win over Southampton.

Due to the Brazilian’s three-match suspension, the 30-year-old has been thrown into Antonio Conte’s starting XI, having since played the full 90 minutes in recent wins against Brighton and Everton.

When given the opportunity this season, Doherty has demonstrated his ability to perform at the top level when required, having produced 7.1 and 7.0 Sofascore ratings respectively in his last two appearances.

The Latest: Kenny’s comments on Doherty

Despite the defender's recent displays, Kenny doesn’t think that his fellow Irishman will be a part of Conte’s Spurs squad in the long run, amid reports that Tottenham had listened to offers for Doherty during the summer.

Speaking with Football Insider, the former Sheffield United goalkeeper claimed: “Emerson is the first choice right-back, and he is obviously Conte’s main man for that wing-back role he prefers.

“Spurs signed Djed Spence for the future and paid a lot of money for him – £20million. So, they will look to develop him and get him used to Conte’s system this season. He’s young and has room to improve.

“Doherty is the odd one out here. He has the kind of experience that Conte likes, and there is no doubting he understands the Premier League.

“But he struggled last season and has not shown enough for the club to want to make him a regular and keep him long-term.”

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The Verdict: Unfair assessment

When looking at Doherty’s underlying figures, it can be argued that Kenny’s assessment of the right-back is somewhat unfair.

As per FBRef, compared with positional peers across Europe over the past year, the defender ranks in the top 1% for non-penalty expected goals, the top 3% for shots taken and the top 4% for touches in the attacking penalty area. This shows that he is a full-back who loves to bomb forward and make an impact further up the pitch.

Having earned stylistic comparisons to Inter Milan’s Denzel Dumfries and Atalanta’s Joakim Maehle, the £74,000-per-week Irishman has rightfully earned his status as a Premier League-proven player.

Therefore, if Conte does decide that the 30-year-old is surplus to requirements next season, it would be harsh on Doherty but he shouldn't have too much trouble finding another club.