View: On-loan Tottenham teen Alfie Devine reminds Ange Postecoglou of his quality
On-loan Tottenham teen Alfie Devine scored the decisive goal against Mansfield Town on Tuesday 31 October to send Port Vale to their first-ever Carabao Cup quarter-final.
Devine started Vale’s second-ever appearance in the fourth round of the competition and scored a 25-yard stunner five minutes into the second half to send his temporary side to the last eight for the first time in their 147-year history.
In doing so, he also ended Mansfield’s 20-match unbeaten run with a statement performance that once again reminded Ange Postecoglou of his quality, and will certainly have improved his chances of getting some more minutes on the pitch this season.
The 19-year-old completed his first full 90 minutes of EFL League Two action last time out for Vale, scoring the club’s only goal in a 2-1 home defeat to Cheltenham Town on Saturday 28 October.
And despite the defeat, he did enough to keep his place in the team for the trip to Mansfield.
The England youth international had started both the second and third-round victories in the Carabao Cup, grabbing an assist last time out in the competition to help his side progress.
However, he stepped up his performance levels against the Stags, taking the game by the scruff of the neck and writing his name in the history books. As per Sofascore, he was the best player on the pitch, earning an 8.2 match rating, which is particularly impressive considering there were players with far more experience than him involved in proceedings.
In addition to his brilliant goal, he completed five accurate long balls forward from the six he attempted, completed 100 per cent of his dribbles (five out of five), won 100 per cent of his ground duels (seven out of seven) and made one tackle.
It was a colossal performance in midfield which once again demonstrated maturity beyond his years, and one that will have Spurs supporters excited at the prospect of what is to come as the player develops.
With the win, and the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea and West Ham left in the competition, the Valliants have set themselves up with the real possibility of a meeting with a top Premier League club.
This would allow Tottenham fans to see Devine in action against one of their fiercest rivals, whom he could begin to meet more regularly upon his return to north London.
In other Tottenham news, John Wenham believes the club must be realistic with their expectations this season.