‘In 15 years’: Manager says 18-year-old Tottenham player just put in the best defensive display he’s ever seen

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Portsmouth manager Danny Cowley has lavished praise on teenager Dane Scarlett, who is on loan from Tottenham.

18-year-old Scarlett ended his 10-game goal drought as Pompey beat Ipswich Town 2-0 on their own patch last night.

League 1 is still going on during the World Cup, where of course fellow Spurs striker Harry Kane is looking to lead England to glory.

After that game, Cowley spoke in absolutely glowing terms about Scarlett’s all-round performance, including his defensive work.

Cowley on Scarlett

He said: “I am telling you now, in 15 years of football, I don’t remember seeing a number nine defend as well as Dane did with that effort.

“It’s not just energy, not just intensity, his intelligence was so good, I am so pleased with him. I told him in the lead up in the game, just keep being an honest kid, put the team first and football always repays those qualities.

“It’s an honest game is football and I was pleased with him against Ipswich because he so deserved to score that goal – and what a really good finish as well.

“He’s just a good kid, he has a steel about him which is beyond his years, mentally he’s incredibly tough and that’s why we know he is going to be the very, very best he can be.

“Whatever that will be, I have no doubt he will make the most of his natural talent. It was an all-round excellent display, well beyond the years of an 18-year-old.”

Scarlett has been spoken about in glowing terms for a while now, but he needed regular football and to play games which matter.

Going through a dry spell at a level where every three points matters more than it does in youth football will make him mentally stronger.

And it seems that is already a strength of his from what Cowley has said, and he will be pleased he got a goal to go with his efforts.