Dane Scarlett frustration
The 18-year-old Tottenham striker has had to make do with minutes here and there under Antonio Conte since those Europa Conference League starts early in the season for Nuno Espirito Santo.
Physically you can see Scarlett has bulked up with his exposure week in, week out to first team training and working with Conte's fitness staff. He's already naturally far stronger looking than when he burst on to the scene as a 16-year-old in the Europa League last season under Jose Mourinho, becoming the youngest player to provide an assist in the competition since Kylian Mbappe.
This was a frustrating outing for Scarlett though as he stepped back into the U23s fold and turned out inside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in a goalless draw that was a fair result, with both keepers making key saves.
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Unprompted, Conte had praised Scarlett while answering a question about Son Heung-min just over a month ago, saying: "I'm seeing a lot of improvement today in [Dane] Scarlett honestly if I have to tell you. Seeing that this guy is improving a lot, he's only 17-years-old but I can tell you that he is a really important prospect for Tottenham.
"He has to be patient and work behind these very important players and continue to work in this way because about Scarlett, I can tell you that I see a brilliant future for him."
Patience is going to be key for the teenage forward because for all of his development with the first team behind the scenes, this is a season that has brought just a single goal for him at club level, with a strike against Oxford United in the EFL Trophy.
International football has been far kinder with 10 goals in 10 matches for England U19s, but for a striker who feeds off goals it will have been frustrating in that aspect. A more balanced split between first team and youth football may have proved more beneficial.
In this return to U23s football, Scarlett had few chances to impress and the service in to him was reminiscent of those early European performances this season when he was feeding off scraps. The key for Scarlett as he learns off the likes of Harry Kane and Son will be learning how to impact matches when he's not seeing enough of the ball.
There were a couple of efforts over the crossbar, including a header at the end of a well-timed run but ultimately he was outshone in attack by Spurs' tricky wingers Romaine Mundle and Yago Santiago, although neither were able to supply Scarlett with much in the way of ammunition.
For Scarlett, unless Conte decides otherwise this summer, football.london understands that the plan is to loan the teenage striker out next season to get him the minutes he needs to continue his development, particularly with Spurs expected to sign a striker to support Kane. Bournemouth are understood to have made an approach for Scarlett last summer but Spurs rejected that move because they wanted a guarantee of playing time.
Next season Tottenham are expecting to receive more approaches from Championship clubs, although a move to League One might suit the young player better at this age. Troy Parrott went straight into the Championship last season and struggled with Millwall but the Republic of Ireland international has really found his feet with MK Dons in League One this season and his development has come on leaps and bounds.
Spurs will have to select Scarlett's loan team carefully because for a player touted as a future star by both Conte and Mourinho, the next stage of his development is crucial.
Alfie Devine the organiser
He might only be 17 but Alfie Devine is an organiser. During Monday's match, he would pop up one minute in support of Scarlett high up the pitch and the next be found in a deep-lying anchorman role. All the while he was talking to everyone around him, telling the full-backs to push up or hold back and carefully watching how the match was playing out.
The teenager is another who big things are expected of and it's not hard to see why when you watch him in action with his close control, technique and reading of the game above most others on the pitch.
He has stepped up to regular U23s football with aplomb this season with 11 goals and three assists for Spurs' academy sides in 20 appearances.
Devine turns 18 on August 1 and, as with Scarlett, the plan has now shifted for the England U19 midfielder to head out on loan. Originally the idea for the midfielder was to keep him at the club to complete three full seasons in order to register him as a club-trained player for the future. His arrival from Wigan only two years ago made it difficult to involve him in the young Europa Conference League squads early this season as he could not be registered on the B list of young club players.
However, Devine's development this season has been such that football.london understands Spurs will now consider loan moves for him for next season so they do not hold back his progress and the player is also believed to be pushing for a loan spell to build on his development.
Tottenham turned down a loan offer from Leyton Orient last year as they felt at that stage his development was better served by spending time split between the first team training sessions and working with Wayne Burnett's development squad.
Devine has already made his Tottenham debut, making history as the club's youngest ever goalscorer with his strike against Marine in the FA Cup third round last season.
Despite still being just 17-years-old, this season he was named on the bench by Conte for the Premier League match at Leeds United and in the FA Cup tie at Middlesbrough.
Devine is outgrowing academy football despite his tender years and now is the time for him to push on and learn all about the rigours of first team football.
Jamie Bowden and Nile John reunited
It must have been strange for both Jamie Bowden and Nile John to be together again in the midfield for the U23s. Both young midfielders have both been on loan at clubs in the Football League this season and now find themselves back in Spurs' development squad.
Bowden, 20, spent the first half of the campaign in League Two at Oldham Athletic and he got 17 appearances under his belt, with a goal and four assists to boot and he also played in the FA Cup and EFL Cup.
However, when Spurs jettisoned three central midfielders in January so he returned and Conte decided that the recalled Bowden would help to supplement the squad. He was rewarded for his efforts by being named on the bench for the Premier League match against Newcastle.
Nile John spent the second half of the campaign on loan at Charlton in a disappointing spell that brought not a single minute of football for the first team there.
With the regular League One season finished, the 19-year-old is back at Spurs and at least got the chance to get some minutes in his legs with this match.
Both players currently have contracts until the summer of 2023 and will be hoping to get first team football somewhere under their belts next season.
Of the two on Monday, John showed drive in his play but Bowden impressed the most, leading the team with the maturity of a 20-year-old and he struck the crossbar with one deflected free-kick and forced the goalkeeper into a flying save with a header from a corner.
Whether both players end up getting a chance again for Tottenham in the first team remains to be seen - John did only turn 19 last month - but both will certainly be able to at least carve out a good career for themselves in the Football League in the years ahead.
