Former Southampton striker Shane Long has discussed the development of Mason Melia and the next step that the Tottenham starlet needs to take.Spurs signed Mason Melia from St Patrick’s Athletic for £1.6m plus add-ons back in February of 2025, and he linked up with the Lilywhites during the recent January window after turning 18.After arriving with a big reputation, the teenager had an injury setback during his first couple of months at Spurs, but he ended the season strongly with the U21s, scoring three times in six matches in Premier League 2.Melia was rewarded with his first senior cap for the Republic of Ireland in their 1-0 win over Qatar last Friday.Photo By Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile via Getty ImagesShane Long wants Tottenham to loan out Mason MeliaLong, who has been capped 88 times for Ireland, has his doubts about whether Melia will get any minutes under Roberto De Zerbi next season.The former Southampton man called for the 18-year-old to be loaned to a Championship club, suggesting that he needs to be playing regularly at this stage of his development.The 39-year-old told Boyle Sports: “Mason Melia next season? It depends on the manager. It could be an exciting story for Tottenham, having a player from the academy break into the first team, it could give the club a lift. “I don’t know if De Zerbi is known for bringing through younger players, he might just make a few signings. If that’s the case, then a loan option is the best thing.“Relegation would have been amazing for him because all the big players would have left. It was the same at Reading when I first came over. We went down one season, and then all the senior players left. That’s when I kind of broke through, around twenty or twenty-one years of age, and it opened up that opportunity for me. “It would have been the same for him. He’s a goal scorer, and I’m sure being called up into the Ireland squad is brilliant for him, putting his name out there and letting people see what he’s about. He’s playing with the U21s at Tottenham as well. It’s a big club.“This summer is going to be big for him to make up his mind. He is used to playing football, it’s different because he was playing week in, week out in Ireland, so a loan move to the Championship would be good for him. But it’s an exciting time. Like Troy Parrott, he’s a goal scorer, a gifted player, so hopefully he gets the right move that can really showcase what he can do.”Would it be better for Melia to train with the Spurs first-team?Melia did train with the Tottenham first-team under De Zerbi a few times towards the end of the season.However, the striker’s injury issues earlier this year mean that he has not had many opportunities to do so and is still settling into the new environment.Spurs may thus decide that he is better off training with the senior team during the first half of the season before exploring a loan move during the January window.READ MORE: Tottenham injury update: How the Spurs squad looks heading into World Cup and pre-seasonThe post Tottenham tipped for ‘exciting story’ next season involving Mason Melia loan move appeared first on Spurs Web.