Plymouth Argyle have announced the signing of Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Alfie Devine on loan for the remainder of the 2023-24 season.
The 19-year-old joins Ian Foster's side after being recalled from his previous loan at League One outfit Port Vale, where he scored three goals and provided three assists in 26 games during a successful spell.
Having earned his stripes in League One, Devine will now test his mettle in the Championship for the next few months and follows fellow Spurs man Ashley Phillips to Home Park on a short-term deal.
Argyle boss Foster already has experience working with Devine, who was moving up the England youth ranks while playing for Wigan Athletic, and the 47-year-old claimed that bringing the midfielder to the club was a "no-brainer".
"Alfie is a player I'm really familiar with. I've known Alfie since his Wigan days, when I was working for the FA. We had a lot of players coming through the pathway at Wigan," Foster told the official Plymouth Argyle website.
🖊️ Argyle have signed Alfie Devine on loan from Tottenham Hotspur.
— Plymouth Argyle FC (@Argyle) January 17, 2024
Read more about the newest Pilgrim, here. ⤵️#pafc #incoming
"When selecting Alfie for England teams, he played a year up, which shows you the level of confidence I have in him, in terms of his ability and his character. Bringing him here was a no-brainer in terms of knowing what I'm getting from the person and the player.
"I know how talented he is, I know how hard working he is, and it gives me a little bit of a head start because he knows the role and he knows exactly what I'll be asking him to do. Regardless of the shape, he understands the principles of play.
"He's a really versatile attacking midfield player. He can play in advanced midfield roles, and he can also play in that deeper role as well. He can handle the ball in tight areas under pressure, and he is an attacking threat. He's someone that can cover a lot of positions for us, which is a great thing to have."
Argyle Director of Football Neil Dewsnip also talked up Devine's arrival at Home Park, claiming that the Plymouth scouting department had earmarked him as one of the "leading" players in League One this season.
"Alfie follows Ashley Phillips in from Tottenham Hotspur, and it shows what Spurs think of us that they have entrusted us with two of their brightest young prospects," Dewsnip added.
© Reuters
"Alfie is well-known to Ian, as someone who has selected him for England age groups, and he is known to our recruitment department, who have identified Alfie as a leading player in Sky Bet League One this season with Port Vale.
"He fits the profile of a young, talented player who we can assist in developing, and who will offer us great energy, ability and creativity in our midfield."
Devine joined Tottenham from Wigan in the summer of 2020 and scored on his debut for the club under Jose Mourinho, netting in a 5-0 FA Cup thrashing of Marine in January 2021.
The England Under-20 international - who is most comfortable as a number 10 - has made one more appearance for the Tottenham first team since, coming off the bench in last season's FA Cup third-round beating of Portsmouth.
In addition, Devine became a European Under-19 champion with England in 2022 and also impressed at last year's Under-20 World Cup, scoring two goals and providing one assist as the Young Lions went out in the last 16.
Plymouth sit 19th in the Championship table, and Devine could make his debut for the club on Saturday, when Foster's side host Cardiff City at Home Park.
Ben Knapton
