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‘To be honest’… Tottenham youngster Alfie Devine admits he looks up to 24-year-old Arsenal player
Tottenham Hotspur youngster Alfie Devine has admitted he looks up to Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice.
Speaking to , the Tottenham midfielder reflected on training with England’s senior team back in September.
The 19-year-old is currently on loan at Port Vale and has impressed in League One. Devine has netted three goals and provided as many assists in just 19 appearances for the Valiants.
The Englishman recently admitted that Ange Postecoglou is keeping a close eye on his progress this season as he eyes a return to Spurs next summer.
Spurs snapped up the talented midfielder from Wigan Athletic back in 2020 and he was handed his debut under Jose Mourinho in the FA Cup in January 2021.
Devine looks set to have a bright future ahead of him after already training with Gareth Southgate’s team this season.
And while reflecting on a surreal experience, the youngster has admitted he looks up to the likes of Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham.
Devine admits he looks up to Rice
Speaking to the Mail, Devine admitted that as a midfielder, he looks up to Rice and Bellingham.
The Spurs youngster claimed it was a nerve-wracking experience training with England’s senior players. But his nerves were somewhat eased by having two familiar faces in James Maddison and Harry Kane around.
“It was halfway through the warm-ups and Joe Edwards – who was England under-20 boss and is now at Millwall – just came up to me and said they need an extra player for the first half of the training and you’re going over,” he said.
“Obviously it was nerve-wracking when you first go over. You watch England and you watch Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice, all these sort of players you look up to as a midfielder, and now you’re training with them.
“I felt a bit more comfortable there with Harry Kane and James Maddison. I spent pre-season with Maddison and I know Harry from Tottenham.
“That made it easier but at that age when you go and do that it’s just about enjoying it to be honest and I loved every minute of it.”
Despite the fierce rivalry between Arsenal and Spurs, it’s no real surprise to hear that Devine looks up to Rice.
As a young midfielder, the experience of training alongside the likes of Rice and Bellingham was invaluable for Devine.
Rice has established himself as one of the Premier League’s best midfielders over the past couple of years and the 24-year-old has enjoyed a brilliant start to life at Arsenal.
Of course, Devine will be hoping to follow in Rice’s footsteps and break into the England squad in the future.
It will be intriguing to see how his path to Tottenham’s first-team is handled over the coming seasons as he impressed in pre-season under Postecoglou.