Tottenham Hotspur fans are closely monitoring Alfie Devine progress. The Preston North End manager has publicly stated his plans for the young midfielder, drawing comparisons to a former Everton player’s development.
Alfie Devine is currently gaining valuable experience on loan at Preston North End in the Championship. Although he impressed during Tottenham Hotspur’s pre-season, the decision was made to loan him out this summer for further development.
Preston manager wants Alfie Devine to emulate teammate
Alfie Devine has quickly become an important player for Preston, making nine appearances for the club, with seven of those being starts. Now, Preston boss Paul Heckingbottom has voiced his belief that Alfie Devine is showing enough promise to earn international recognition.
Paul Heckingbottom is encouraging Alfie Devine to follow the example of teammate Thierry Small, who recently earned a call-up to the England Under-21 squad. Heckingbottom sees this as a reward for Small’s positive attitude and consistent improvement. He told Lancashire Post that he wants Alfie Devine to follow a similar path.
“Yeah, my aim is to try and get Alfie (Devine) in that as well this season,” said Heckingbottom. “I think it’s great recognition and something that Thierry can be proud of. But it is a stepping stone, is it not?
“You cannot be satisfied with a stepping stone. But yeah, it is good. He went away in the first one; feedback was good. He did not get minutes but they called him up again, so you know then the feedback was truthful and they were happy with him.
“Then, he gets some minutes in the first game (this time) which is great, so his job is to try and sustain that. The 21s are totally different from the other age groups. It is serious. It is under-21s, but it is under-21 at the start of each cycle and campaign.
“So you are actually playing with 23, 24-year-olds who are the best in the country. It is a big achievement to get in that squad. Thierry has openly said it and we have lots of players who have ambitions to be performing in the Premier League.
“The majority there are in the Premier League, so you get an eye-opener as to the talent that the players have. One or two will have the mentality as well and already be performing at the top. That recognition is a really big motivator for you to keep going and drive on and try and get more.”
Tottenham Hotspur monitoring Alfie Devine progress
Tottenham Hotspur will be paying close attention to Alfie Devine’s development during his loan spell away from North London. The young midfielder is eager to prove himself and break into the first team.
Although he has yet to become a regular starter for Tottenham Hotspur, his potential is evident. His continued progress could provide him with an opportunity to compete for a place in the squad next season.
Alfie Devine’s progress at Preston North End is not just beneficial for the player himself, but also for Tottenham Hotspur. Should he continue to develop and impress, he could provide a valuable option for the club in the future.
The Tottenham Hotspur hierarchy will be hoping that Alfie Devine can continue his upward trajectory and return to the club ready to compete for a first-team place.
