View: Tottenham ace Alfie Devine impresses during pre-season friendly against West Ham
Alfie Devine came on for the second half in Australia during his Tottenham side’s 3-2 loss to West Ham.
The pre-season clash was played 9,000 miles away on the other side of the world between the two clubs separated by just five miles themselves.
Although West Ham came out victorious thanks to goals from Danny Ings, Divin Mubama and Gianluca Scamacca, there were plenty of positives to take away for Tottenham during their first match under Ange Postecoglou.
Spurs largely dominated proceedings, seeing 72 per cent of the ball and having over 30 shots (Sofascore). It was a clear sign that the club are quickly getting used to their Australian boss’ new attacking style, which is a big change from Antonio Conte’s defensive and pragmatic way of playing.
However, one of the biggest takeaways from the match was the performance of midfielder Alfie Devine.
Spurs’ youngest-ever goalscorer came on at half-time and played the full duration of the second half, putting in a very bright performance which would have given his new manager something to think about.
Even though he was played out of position on the right-hand side, he played extremely well and the 18-year-old can leave the land down under with his head held high.
Throughout his time on the pitch, he made 40 touches and impressively recorded a perfect passing accuracy of 100 per cent, completing all 30 of the passes which he attempted. Three of those passes were key and he managed to put in two crosses as well as having a shot on target (Sofascore).
With his 19th birthday just weeks away, this season could be a big one for Devine who will be hoping to kick on and perhaps begin to make more first-team appearances.
For years he has been one of the club’s most exciting young talents and clearly has plenty of potential. Last season he featured frequently for the Under-21s, scoring twice and providing three assists in 17 Premier League Two matches as well as finding the back of the net on three occasions during four UEFA Youth League games.
However, he played just one minute for the senior side last campaign which came during Spurs’ 1-0 win at home against Portsmouth in the FA Cup and he will want to play more frequently this season.
With Postecoglou known for giving youth a chance, and an impressive pre-season performance under his belt, perhaps this is the season we finally see the true breakthrough of Devine.
In other Tottenham news, with the Women’s World Cup fast approaching, these are three stars to look out for.