Why Tottenham may have made huge James Wilson mistake as Hearts footage emerges
Tottenham Hotspur let James Wilson return to Hearts without a permanent N17 deal this summer.
Signed by Tottenham on a short-term loan deal last season, the 19-year-old striker headed for Spurs' academy side.
There he played 11 times for the Under-21s in Premier League 2 last term, scoring four goals.
A product of Hearts' academy system, Wilson is already a full Scotland international and highly-regarded as a future star north of the border.
His move to Spurs confirmed that potential, and his strong showings for the U21s appeared to have earned him a good chance at a permanent Lilywhites move.
That wasn't to be the case though, and after what he did for Hearts on Thursday night, Spurs chiefs may just be regretting that decision already.
What did James Wilson do for Hearts in the UEFA Conference League?
Tottenham reportedly had a £2.5m purchase option for Wilson as per the terms of his loan agreement.
Despite being a relative drop in the financial ocean for Spurs, said clause wasn't triggered, and back to Edinburgh he went this summer.
Wilson has already made four competitive appearances for Hearts in 2026-27, with his latest coming on Thursday night.
Wouter Vrancken's side were in UEFA Conference League action, hosting the first leg of their league stage qualification final tie with Rapid Wien.
Wilson came on as a substitute in the 57th minute, and by minute 62, he would've scored an early contender for Hearts' goal of the season award.
With the scores level at 1-1, Wilson picked the ball up just inside Wien's half, before turning and hitting one from 30 yards out.
Catching the Wien keeper off his line, the ball flew past his head and nestled into the top-right corner of the net.
It was a superb piece of intelligence and technical quality from the teenager, and offered a further glimpse into his star potential.
So, what has Wilson said about his time with Tottenham, and does it suggest he would've been hoping to stay permanently?
Why Wilson has zero Tottenham regrets
It didn't end in a permanent Tottenham transfer for Wilson, but the young striker isn't letting that get to him.
Rather, he's now already kicking on in Hearts' first-team this season, and looks primed to make Spurs pay for letting him slip through their net.
Speaking via Edinburgh News earlier this month, Wilson spoke very highly of his time in North London, in a clear suggestion that he would've loved to put roots down in N17.
"I got the experience of training with their first team, being on the bench, the facilities, the physical nature of it, the link-up play especially," he said.
"I think you see that on Sunday, the way I take it in and play it wide. That was something that got drilled into me down at Spurs.
"There are loads of things that I picked up on but you're surrounded by amazing players. They are world-class players getting to play in the Premier League, playing in the World Cup. You learn loads.
“I was in and out (of first-team training). Under Igor Tudor especially, I was in quite a lot. Then, with (Roberto) De Zerbi, we just kind of helped them a little bit more, but you're still around it.
"You're still in the session, but you get to learn from them a bit more and see it. That was really cool. Being able to see the different managers, the different styles of play. It was an unbelievable experience.”
Wilson was then asked if he stood by his decision to move to Spurs, which he responded in emphatic fashion: "Yeah, 100 per cent.
"It was four months for me. There were about 10 games in that period - or I can get the experience of going down and training with a good Premier League side.
"They've got some world-class players. I'm getting game time again, which I missed out on in that period before.
"I feel like I'm a better player for it coming back. I’m just hoping I can show that now."