The year of 2024 could prove to be a very memorable one in Alfie Devine’s young career. Joining Tottenham’s academy in July 2020 as a 15-year-old after making the switch from Wigan Athletic, the midfielder made an instant impression in N17 and it wasn’t long before he found himself in the national headlines.
Initially given a chance in the team’s pre-season friendly games by Jose Mourinho, Devine was named in the matchday squad for the FA Cup third round clash away at non-league side Marine and he went on to net on his senior bow for the club. The goal saw him become the club’s youngest ever player and youngest goalscorer in the process.
In a fair few matchday squads after that, Devine’s only other competitive appearance for the first team came last January in the 1-0 FA Cup win over Portsmouth. The talented player was unable to repeat his previous heroics in the competition as he entered the fray in the final few minutes of the contest.
Tottenham supporters did get to see a bit more of Devine during the summer as he was included as part of the travelling party for the team’s Asia-Pacific tour. Introduced off the bench by Ange Postecoglou in their 3-2 defeat against West Ham, the ex-Wigan player took his place in the front three and caught the eye with a very impressive performance as he had a role to play in Giovani Lo Celso’s goal.
With very little first-team experience to his name, it was always going to be a big summer for the player in terms of progression after previously missing out on loan spells away from the club. Keen to get him a move to aid his development, Devine swapped Spurs for Staffordshire at the end of August as he linked up with League One side Port Vale.
So far playing 22 games in all competitions for the Valiants, the 19-year-old has flourished at Vale Park and chipped in with some huge moments for his new club in the process. Making an immediate impact for Vale in their 2-1 win away at Oxford United as he came off the bench in the closing stages to create their first goal before then scoring a last-minute penalty, the decision from Port Vale’s management to allow the youngster to take the vital spot kick tells you everything you need to know about him.
Devine, who was called up to senior England training in September when he was with the Under-20s, was then to be Port Vale’s hero in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup in October as he put the League One outfit through to the quarter-finals for the first time in their history with a brilliant strike from distance against Mansfield. In his 22 games for Port Vale, the attacking midfielder has three goals and three assists so far.
Given his ability to score and create goals, Devine looks tailormade to play in one of the two No.8 roles in Postecoglou’s team. The Australian has already taken a number of Tottenham players to new levels and he can certainly do the same with Devine upon his return to Hotspur Way.
Prior to then, however, the Warrington-born youngster just needs to keep on impressing at Port Vale as he admitted at the start of November that he is aware the Spurs boss is keeping tabs on him. He said: “I spoke to a few staff at Tottenham, I know Ange is keeping a lookout on how I’m doing and stuff, but I just take every game as it comes and then see what happens from there, but I’m loving my time at the moment.”
Once he does step back through the doors at the club’s Enfield training base next summer, Devine will once again very likely play a part for Tottenham in pre-season. If he does indeed manage to impress Postecoglou during the summer months then there is every chance he could be a permanent member of the Spurs squad for the 2024/25 campaign.
An extremely talented player wholooks absolutely perfect for Postecoglou’s system at Spurs, 2024 could be a very big year for Devine in north London.
