Safe to say that youngster Alfie Devine has come to know the ruthless nature of Jose Mourinho after his heroics against Marine FC in the third round of the Emirates FA Cup.
The promising teenage prospect found the back of the net against non-league opposition Marine as he came off the bench, scoring for the Tottenham Hotspur first team at the age of 16.
Devine has been in the headlines for breaking a flurry of top flight records. The Englishman became the youngest featuring player well as the youngest senior goal scorer in Spurs history, at an age of 16 years and 166 days.
Devine also became the youngest player to score for a Football League or Premier League club in the FA Cup since George Williams netted for MK Dons almost a decade ago against Nantwich in 2011.
When asked about whether a delighted Devine still had his smile on in training, Mourinho ruthlessly replied that he did not know as he had sent Devine back to the club academy.
Mourinho backed his tough words by saying that as the teenage has attracted a lot of eyeballs in what was a great moment for him, he must “go back to where he belongs”.
Mourinho also added that Devine must “calm down”, and he does not want to see the youngster in a week or two’s time.
“I don’t know because I sent him back to the academy…” 😂
— Hayters TV (@HaytersTV) January 12, 2021
Jose doesn’t want to see Alfie Devine for ‘one or two weeks’ after he became Spurs’ youngster-ever goalscorer 🌟
🔗 https://t.co/i5hBmzENui pic.twitter.com/8fnMB6I0go
Jose Mourinho is a mainstay in the conversation for one of the greatest managers of all time, but it would not be an exaggeration to say that he does not have a reputation for nurturing young talent.
It would take an impressive guess to figure out whether the reason for his treatment of Devine is indeed down to a supposed agenda against young players, or the Special One is just hiding a special player for Spurs in the future: to not let him be carried away with all the lights on him.