In November, Tottenham’s 4-0 victory over a Ludogorets side – whose preparation for the competition couldn’t have been worse – was as easy as it gets.
Tanguy Ndombele excelled in a deeper midfielder role, Harry Winks was scoring 50-yard pearls and Carlos Vinicius, before channeling his inside Kylian Mbappe against non-League Navy, got his first glimpse of Spurs-colored goals.
Even some of the kids were successful.
Dane Scarlett (16 years old and 247 days old) became the club’s youngest first-team player, surpassing the record set by John Bostock who was 16 years old and 295 days old when he made his Tottenham debut in November 2008.
– The Spurs Web ⚪️ (@thespursweb) November 26, 2020
Jack Clarke appeared for the second time in a Spurs jersey before a triple substitution ten minutes from the finish saw Alfie Whiteman, Harvey White and 16-year-old Dane Scarlett enter the fray.
At that point, Scarlett became the club’s youngest debutant – a feat that has now been taken from her by Alfie Devine – after rapidly rising through the youth ranks.
He’s a talent that rose to prominence after scoring four goals in the 7-0 Under-18 win over Southampton, and since making his first team bow he has regained the upper hand with his teenage comrades in hopes of further impressing Jose Mourinho.
And impressing the Portuguese, he most certainly will, after an enthralling five-goal show helped Tottenham topple Newport County – who love upheavals – in the FA Youth Cup. He will still have to wait for other opportunities, but that doesn’t mean you have to wait to find out more.
Here are some key things to know about Scarlett.
Born in Hillingdon, Middlesex, Scarlett joined the club at just six years old before rising through the youth ranks.
The young forward was selected by England at the Under-15 and Under-16 levels and made his debut for Spurs Under-18 at the start of last season. Scarlett has appeared four times for the Under-18s in the 2019/20 campaign and scored her first goal against Aston Villa before disaster struck…
A year ago, a season ended with a knee injury. To make my @SpursOfficial making his debut, also becoming the youngest Spurs player is a dream come true for me and my family. Thanks to everyone who has supported so far. It was a shame I had to make my debut without you Spurs fans pic.twitter.com/xquGq2ueAh
– Dane Scarlett (@ DScarlett09) November 27, 2020
After a brilliant start to her Under-18 career, Scarlett’s first season was cut short a month after scoring her debut goal, following a serious knee injury against Chelsea.
“I was injured on November 9 but my operation goes back a year this week,” he told the official Spurs website after the Ludogorets game. “My mom, dad, little sister, everyone around me supported me, and of course the staff here too, the medical staff… they all stayed with me, pushed me and gave me back. stronger. It’s an amazing feeling to make my debut now – I’m so grateful.
Fortunately, Scarlett had young genes on her side, helping her make a full recovery.
Scarlett’s determination to get back into top form as soon as possible paid off as he had the opportunity to train with the first team in a preseason albeit brief.
The 16-year-old picked up friendly victories against Ipswich and Reading this summer before starting the 2020/21 season with the Under-18s on fire.
At one point, Scarlett scored ten goals in eight games, her senior debut coming after a four-goal run in Southampton’s 7-0 humiliation. As previously mentioned, four was clearly not enough to satisfy his thirst for goals – with a five goals – and five stars – showing against Newport his newfound glory.
Scarlett revealed following his then-record appearance how he had built a collection of his old football boots from important games during his formative years.
“I have shoes that I kept where I played well and I thought ‘I want to keep them. I’ve had Nike T90s, gray and green, since I started when I was maybe six or seven, ”he said in an interview.
“I have quite a few pairs, around 15 or 16, but the shoes I injured myself in last year are probably the ones I watch the most. Every time I see them I remember what happened and it helped me move forward. “
Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho revealed after the Ludogorets shock that he had no idea Scarlett would become Spurs’ youngest player, saying: “When I played him I had no idea that he was the youngest. He played a few minutes in some of our preseason games. Of course he returned to his [Under-18] team. He trains with them.
Mourinho went on to describe the process which saw Scarlett called in and how he leaned on club staff to make sure the most deserving player gets the nod.
“When I felt that there was room for another young player in the team, I didn’t decide for myself, I asked my football manager and asked the director of the academy and they contacted all the coaches. ” Who deserves? “
“They gave me his name and because I already knew him I thought if the opportunity presented itself it would be good luck for me and a good feeling for everyone in the academy.
