Jose Mourinho was a big fan of Alfie Devine during his time at Spurs, with the 58-year-old even drawing comparisons between the Tottenham youngster and Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes, The Athletic have revealed.
Devine had a terrific first season at Tottenham after joining from Wigan’s academy last summer, impressing for the club’s Under-18s as well as the Under-23s, and also training with the first team on plenty of occasions.
The teenager was handed his senior debut by Mourinho in Tottenham’s FA Cup clash against Marine, becoming the youngest ever player to pull on a Spurs shirt (16 years and 163 days) and he marked the occasion with a well-taken goal.
Spurs confirmed last week that the 17-year-old had penned his first professional contract with the club that runs until 2024.
The Athletic have now shed light on how highly the former Spurs boss rated the youngster.
The report alleges that the Portuguese coach told Devine that he reminded him of Fernandes already, even at the age of just 17.
Spurs Web Opinion
I seem to be in the minority of Spurs fans who are more excited by Devine than Dane Scarlett. The midfielder looks mature beyond his years and I genuinely believe that he could challenge for a first-team spot in the 2022/23 campaign. I would like to see the club loan out the youngster for the upcoming season.
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