18-year-old Tottenham youngster has real chance of playing soon, Antonio Conte’s a huge fan – opinion

Mon 13 February 2023 17:15, UK

The mood at Tottenham Hotspur has rarely changed as quickly as it has in the past seven days.

After the elation of their 1-0 win over Manchester City, they were swiftly brought back down to earth on Saturday.

A horrendous 4-1 defeat at the hands of Leicester City was made even worse by the .

The Uruguayan has been one of Tottenham’s most important players this season.

His six goals and two assists have been very important, but the energy and control he gives Tottenham in midfield are unmatched within the squad.

It has since been confirmed that Bentancur will miss the rest of the campaign, which is a huge blow to Antonio Conte.

Yves Bissouma is also set to be missing for the foreseeable future, after on a stress fracture to his left ankle.

It leaves Antonio Conte much shorter of midfield options than he would like.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg will have to step up and lead from the front.

He may struggle to start every game if Spurs go deep into the Champions League and FA Cup.

Conte has been unconvinced by Oliver Skipp and Pape Matar Sarr this season too.

This means that Conte could finally give Alfie Devine a chance to step up and regularly play for Tottenham’s first team.

After a handful of cameos, this looks like his best chance to make an impact for the senior side.

TBR View: Conte could finally hand Devine Tottenham opportunity

The 18-year-old Devine has a profile unlike any senior Tottenham midfielder.

Capable of playing as a number ten, central midfielder, or even on the wings, Devine’s versatility has been very useful at under-21 level.

He’s been mainly played in a deeper role at that level this season, which may prepare him well if he does get the nod over Skipp or Sarr.

Antonio Conte is a big fan of Devine, and has regularly involved him in training with Tottenham’s first team.

It was a surprise not to see Devine head out on loan in January.

After missing out on a temporary move in the summer due to injury, he appeared ready to head out and play more regular first-team minutes.

However, Tottenham may now benefit from him staying at the club after all.

It would be a huge call to start him tomorrow against AC Milan, but he’s got every chance of being involved in the matchday squad.