MY ACCOUNT
Youngsters at Tottenham do not have to look very far for inspiration when it comes to what can be achieved in the game.
In Harry Kane there is a player that has risen through the youth ranks to become both a club legend and England captain.
Spurs’ first-team squad also includes homegrown players such as Brandon Austin, Japhet Tanganga, Oliver Skipp and Harvey White.
As they prepare to return to Premier League action, we look at some of the young stars who could be pushing to be involved before long.
Charlie Sayers
Earlier this month, Spurs warmed up with a friendly against Motherwell that saw Charlie Sayers start in a team that was otherwise made up of first-team players.
Sayers played on the left of Antonio Conte’s back three in a 4-0 win and is also able to operate as a full-back.
The defender has been huge progress in his fledgling football career, having broken into the Southend team at just 17 years old last season. His appearances in the National League prompted Tottenham to bring him to London.
Now 18, Sayers has clearly caught the eye of Conte and his staff and was named in the squad that travelled to South Korea in pre-season.
Troy Parrott
Republic of Ireland striker Troy Parrott has been tipped for the top for so long, that it is easy to forget that he is still only 20.
Touted as Kane’s successor, Parrott made his Spurs debut in the EFL Cup while still 17 and played in the Premier League in that same 2019-20 season, making a total of four appearances across all competitions.
Loans to first Millwall and then Ipswich in the 2020-21 campaign saw Parrott gain experience, but only yielded two goals in 32 appearances.
His loan at MK Dons last season was more successful with the Dublin-born forward scoring ten goals for the League One club.
This season’s move to Preston may have been the wrong move in retrospect, with Parrott having only netted twice for a team that are the third-lowest scorers in the Championship.
Jamie Donley
Another Irish striker who is highly rated by Tottenham is 17-year-old Jamie Donley.
Born in Antrim, Donley has a Northern Irish father and an English mother and has represented both nations at youth level.
He has been in North London since the age of eight, with the left-footed forward enjoying a breakthrough campaign last season.
Donley scored 16 goals in 18 appearances for the Spurs Under-18s. His spectacular scorpion kick goal from a corner against West Brom, won the club’s October Goal of the Month award in 2021.
This season, Donley has been playing in the Premier League 2, EFL Trophy and the UEFA Youth League, often operating as a midfielder. A loan move to gain regular senior football could be in the works in 2023.
Dane Scarlett
A young Tottenham striker already gaining experience out on loan is Dane Scarlett at Portsmouth.
With his Spurs debut coming in the Europa League aged 16, Scarlett made a total of ten appearances for the club across the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons, before making his loan move to Pompey in the summer.
The 18-year-old has scored five goals in 23 matches for the League One side, with his performances making him a fan favourite.
In the case of both Scarlett and Parrott, it is worth remembering that Kane was not a prolific scorer during his loan spells in the lower leagues.
Scarlett has certainly been prolific for the England U-19s, scoring 12 goals in 14 games and being part of the side that won the European Under-19 Championship over the summer.
Alfie Devine
Another member of that victorious England U-19s team provided by Tottenham is Alfie Devine.
The 18-year-old is considered to be the club’s best young player. Released by Liverpool when he was 11, Devine was quickly picked up by Wigan and was signed by Spurs for £300,000 in 2020.
In 2021 the skilful midfielder made his debut in the FA Cup third-round win against non-league Marine.
Brought on at half-time, Devine scored his first goal, while also becoming the youngest player to have ever appeared for Tottenham at 16 years and 163 days.
Devine has yet to make another appearance but has been selected on the bench by Conte. He was due to go out on loan in the summer before picking up a hamstring injury and looks set to make a temporary move in January.
