Following Tottenham Hotspur’s essential 3-1 victory over West Ham United on Sunday, a end result which supplied Spurs’ hopes of securing a top-four end this season with a big increase, Antonio Conte introduced up one thing of a shock title in his post-match press convention.
Certainly, when Alasdair Gold requested the 52-year-old for an evaluation of Son Heung-min’s show towards the Hammers, the Italian initially responded with gushing reward for the South Korean worldwide, earlier than turning the dialog in the direction of Tottenham’s 17-year-old Dane Scarlett.
Relating to the younger centre-forward, Conte said: “I’m seeing quite a lot of enchancment in Scarlett, actually, I’ve to inform you. Seeing that this man is enhancing loads, he’s solely 17-years-old however I can inform you that he’s a extremely necessary prospect for Tottenham.
“He must be affected person and work behind these essential gamers and proceed to work on this method as a result of about Scarlett, I can inform you that I see a superb future for him.”
Would you prefer to see Scarlett given a begin within the league?
Conte’s subsequent Esposito
Whereas he has turn out to be one thing of a regular in Conte’s first workforce in current months – that includes in ten of Spurs’ final 11 Premier League matchday squads – Scarlett is but to completely make his mark within the high flight, enjoying a grand whole of simply three minutes within the league thus far this season.
Nevertheless, the 17-year-old can take coronary heart from the truth that, throughout his time at Inter Milan, the 52-year-old beforehand positioned his belief in one of many Nerazzurri’s most fun younger abilities – within the form of Sebastiano Esposito.
Certainly, after handing the centre-forward – who Soccer Expertise Scout, Jacek Kulig, dubbed a “killer” – each his Serie A and Champions League debuts on the age of 17, the £5.4m-rated teenager went on to make a complete of 14 first-team appearances beneath Conte – with now-19-year-old praising the Italian for the position he performed in his improvement.
Talking in regards to the Spurs boss, Esposito said: “I’ve to say that Conte additionally had a giant affect on my mentality. An exceptional coach. If the years within the Inter first workforce have been unforgettable, it was due to him.”
As such, contemplating Conte’s clear fondness of Scarlett, it might very a lot seem as if the 17-year-old – who Jose Mourinho additionally labelled an “immense talent” – might very properly turn out to be the Italian’s subsequent Esposito at Spurs – one thing which is undoubtedly a particularly thrilling thought for everybody concerned with the membership.
AND in different information: Offered at £1.98m, now value £101m: Levy had a THFC shocker on “formidable” £132k-p/w ace