Academy Watch: Tottenham duo Alfie Devine and Dane Scarlett shine at Under-20 World Cup
The Under-20s’ World Cup ended in heartbreak for Tottenham duo Alfie Devine and Dane Scarlett, as they were part of an England side knocked out by Italy after a narrow 2-1 defeat in the round of 16 on 30 May.
The Italians had taken the lead inside eight minutes through Tommaso Baldanzi before Tottenham’s Devine levelled the score after 24 minutes with a fantastic finish, assisted by his fellow Spurs star, Scarlett.
From this moment the contest was tight, but in the end, a late penalty for handball went against the Young Lions, and Cesare Casadei dispatched the spot-kick to send his side into the quarter-finals with just minutes left to play.
Although the result will leave a bitter taste, both Devine and Scarlett should take a lot of confidence from their contributions during the tournament.
Moments before Devine had levelled the score for England during the round of 16 clash, he had gone close when he rattled the ball off the crossbar.
For the goal, Scarlett created space for himself on the left-hand flank with some delightful footwork before he whipped the ball into the box where an on-rushing Devine finished first-time on the volley expertly.
England were one of the favourites to win the competition after an impressive group-stage campaign, which they finished with two wins and a draw.
Devine and Scarlett were two of the brightest stars within the England side and both appeared in all four games at the competition.
Scarlett finished his tournament with a goal, which was the difference in a 1-0 win over Tunisia during the group stages, and an assist while Devine helped himself to two goals and an assist.
A bright Tottenham future
Tottenham fans have been excited about both of these young prospects for some time now, and these performances will be a welcome reminder of the talent they possess during such a frustrating period for fans of the club.
It has been some time since an academy talent has made a real impression on the Tottenham first-team, with Harry Kane being the obvious example as well as Oliver Skipp, and fans will be hoping Scarlett can be the next big thing.
Former Spurs boss Jose Mourinho gave big praise to Scarlett back in 2021: “Tottenham Hotspur have a striker in Dane Scarlett, who, if everything goes well, is going to be phenomenal,” the Portuguese manager told The Times (14 July 2021).
As for Devine, the 18-year-old became the youngest goalscorer at senior level in Tottenham history when he scored in the FA Cup against Marine at the age of 16. He is another player who hopefully has a bright future ahead.
The next manager of Tottenham should be looking to give these two stars more first-team experience next season.
In other Tottenham news, Beth England has earned a well-deserved call-up for the Lionesses World Cup squad.