Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Alfie Devine has revealed Ange Postecoglou provided him an offer he could not turn down after returning from his loan spell.
After being appointed last summer, Ange Postecoglou approved the departure of numerous players on loan to a variety of different leagues.
Some of the loan deals have worked out for the best with players like Ashley Phillips and Joe Rodon flourishing at their respective clubs.
Of course, there have also been some struggles out on loan with players like Tanguy Ndombele continuing to struggle to find his feet with Galatasaray.
Alfie Devine spent the first half of the campaign out on loan with Port Vale before making the jump up to the Championship with Plymouth Argyle for the second half of the season.
Having recently returned to Hotspur Way, Devine provided insight on a conversation he had with Postecoglou.
What Ange Postecoglou told Alfie Devine after he returned to Tottenham
Having shown himself to be one of the promising young prospects Tottenham have in their academy, Devine was handed an opportunity to taste regular men’s first-team football out on loan.
Having joined League One side Port Vale in the summer, it was quickly decided to bump him up to the next level with a Championship loan.
Over the course of his short-term loan on the south coast with Plymouth, Devine was able to rack up plenty of opportunities in the Championship.
- 15 Championship appearances
- 9 starts
- 851 minutes played
- 2 assists
- 1 red card
Statistics via Transfermarkt.
Having now returned from Australia for Tottenham’s post-season friendly game against Newcastle United, the midfielder shared his recent conversation with Postecoglou.
“When we came back, me and Ash [Phillips], the plan was to just train, but obviously when you get an opportunity to play at this stadium, you’re not going to turn it down,” Devine told the PA news agency.
“When we get time off, it will be time to relax, but we’ve got one more game!”
Alfie Devine set for another season out on loan
The 19-year-old Spurs midfielder has clearly impressed those at Plymouth with the Championship side already having contacted Spurs over taking him back on loan for next season.
Alongside Phillips, the pair are both topics of discussion for the Plymouth board as they look to make some early moves ahead of next season.
With the arrival of Lucas Bergvall in the summer and Tottenham’s desire to bring in another midfielder, opportunities in N17 are going to be sparse for players like Devine.
But at the age of just 19, Devine has time on his side and there should be no concerns about him making an immediate impact on this Spurs side.
Spurs fans saw with Harry Kane that patience is needed and depending on what Tottenham can do in the market may hand Devine an opportunity.