Tottenham opportunity could arrive for ‘diamond’ Dane Scarlett as image emerges ahead of FA Cup clash v Burnley
Tottenham are extremely limited in the striking department at the moment, which could open the door for Dane Scarlett to finally announce himself at the club.
Scarlett has been on the radar of many supporters at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for a few years now but has yet to make his breakthrough into the first-team picture.
However, he might have a golden opportunity to do exactly that when Burnley visit north London for some FA Cup third-round action on Friday 5 January.
Although he is still just 19 years old, it feels as if Scarlett has been around for a while, which represents just how impressive he was at youth level.
The striker tore opposition apart in the Under-18 ranks, scoring 23 goals and providing four assists in 23 appearances.
He made his first-team debut for Tottenham at the age of 16, coming on as a substitute in Spurs’ 4-0 home win against Ludogorets in their UEFA Europa League Group Stage clash during the 2020/21 season.
It was former Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho who handed the youngster his debut, with the legendary Portuguese manager a big fan of the forward.
Speaking after he handed the teen his debut, Mourinho described Scarlett as a “diamond” and compared him to Manchester United ace Marcus Rashford, (talkSPORT, 25 February 2021).
This represents incredibly high praise for a player who was yet to turn 17 at the time.
Scarlett has gone on to make 10 more appearances for Spurs’ first team since, grabbing one assist, and gained first-team experience during loan spells with EFL League One side Portsmouth, where he scored four times in the 2022/23 season, and most recently with Championship outfit Ipswich Town.
However, his time at Ipswich wasn’t memorable, with the striker spending the first half of the current campaign in East Anglia but struggling for minutes, and he has since been recalled to Spurs, where Ange Postecoglou could now look to utilise him.
Alejo Veliz’s recent injury, as well as Son Heung-min’s absence due to his Asia Cup commitments with South Korea, means that the queue for a position as Tottenham’s striker has shortened dramatically.
Richarlison will likely need some rest after a hectic December period, which leaves just Scarlett and Jamie Donley available to Postecoglou.
As per Lilywhite Rose via X (3 January), Scarlett has been spotted in first-team training ahead of the Burnley clash, which could point toward him getting some minutes, or perhaps even starting the match.
Postecoglou has previously proven he is not afraid to lean on Scarlett, bringing him on for the second half of Spurs’ Carabao Cup penalty shoot-out defeat to Fulham at Craven Cottage (29 August). That night, the striker completed 100 per cent of his passes, dribbles and ground duels, while also making one interception (Sofascore).
Once again, Postecoglou could lean on Scarlett in cup competition, and whether it is from the start or the bench, Tottenham supporters in attendance on Friday look set to catch a glimpse of their “diamond” in action.
In other Tottenham news, one 99 per cent Spurs ace could be involved against Burnley with his return from injury now described as “imminent.”