Coach says Dane Scarlett is best defensive forward he’s seen in 15 years

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Portsmouth manager Danny Cowley has labelled Tottenham loanee Dane Scarlett as the best defensive forward he has seen in over a decade after Pompey’s EFL Trophy win against Ipswich Town.

Speaking to the Portsmouth News, the 44-year-old coach was full of praise for the England youth international as Scarlett bagged his fifth goal of the season, with the attacker a regular for Portsmouth this campaign under Cowley’s reign.

Regarded by many as one of the best youngsters coming through at a Premier League club, Scarlett is enjoying a productive year in his first real campaign of senior football, with the teenage gem only making a handful of appearances for Tottenham’s senior team before heading out on loan in this summer.

And it appears that the 18-year-old is already dropping jaws on the English south coast, with Cowley full of praise for Scarlett after his inspiring performance for Portsmouth in the EFL Trophy, a competition Pompey will no doubt want to win again this season.

Cowley said when asked about Scarlett’s performance for Portsmouth: “I am telling you now, in 15 years of football, I don’t remember seeing a number nine defend as well as Dane did with that effort. It’s not just energy, not just intensity, his intelligence was so good, I am so pleased with him.”

The Pompey boss added: “He’s just a good kid, he has a steel about him which is beyond his years, mentally he’s incredibly tough and that’s why we know he is going to be the very, very best he can be. Whatever that will be, I have no doubt he will make the most of his natural talent. It was an all-round excellent display, well beyond the years of an 18-year-old.”

Tottenham were right to loan out Dane Scarlett to Portsmouth

Regular playing time at any level could be as crucial for a young player as training with Premier League players, and for Tottenham, the north London side made the right decision to loan out the striker to Portsmouth given the size of the club and the quality of football at League One-level.

Indeed, whilst Scarlett is some way from playing in the Premier League, the attacker’s performances in the third-tier will give many supporters confidence that the teenager could soon feature for Tottenham, especially with the praise the likes of Cowley will give the attacker.