Dane Scarlett has signed a new contract at Tottenham Hotspur until 2027 and joined Ipswich Town on loan for the 2023/24 campaign.
The forward was at Portsmouth last season, making 34 League One appearances and scoring four goals.
He has been added to Kieran McKenna’s attacking ranks as they gun for back-to-back promotions to the Premier League this term.
A promising prospect not given an opportunity
Scarlett has been one of the hottest prospects at Spurs in recent seasons.
He made his debut aged 16 years and 247 days, coming on as a substitute in a UEFA Europa League clash with Ludogorets under José Mourinho. He subsequently became the youngest player to have appeared in a senior first-team competitive game for them.
The England U20 international shone in their U18’s side where he scored on ten occasions and assisted three in eight matches.
His first Premier League appearance came in a game against West Bromwich Albion during the 2020/21 campaign.
Following the game, Scarlett even received glowing reviews from his two-time UEFA Champions League winning manager.
Mourinho said: "I wanted to be the one to put him on in a Premier League match because I know that he will be somebody in a few years."
A month after his first top-flight game for Spurs, Scarlett signed his first professional contract on his 17th birthday.
Despite initially being praised by his boss, Scarlett didn’t feature much and was always going to be a back-up for Harry Kane.
This was emphasised further when striker Carlos Vinícius joined from Benfica to support Kane if he wasn't available.
With game time limited and the arrival of fellow forward Richarlison from Everton, he opted to temporarily fly the nest by signing for Portsmouth on a season-long loan deal for the 2022/23 campaign.
Under Danny Cowley and then John Mousinho, he featured regularly for the League One outfit – making 40 appearances in all competitions and netting six goals.
This shows that even though previous managers haven’t had the faith in the youngster, he could go on to feature for them in the coming seasons.
In Ange Postecoglou's new-look Tottenham side, Scarlett featured in a few games during pre-season including games against Shakhtar Donetsk and FC Barcelona.
Also, he featured as a substitute in their Carabao Cup game against Fulham on Tuesday night. A much-changed side bowed out on penalties after a 1-1 draw - Richarlison cancelling out Micky van de Ven's first-half own goal.
Scarlett: “I’m really excited to get started here”
Speaking upon the move to Town TV, Scarlett cannot wait to get going in Suffolk.
“I found out I was officially moving yesterday but the move has been in the works for a few weeks”, admits the 19-year-old.
“I remember playing against Ipswich last season [for Portsmouth in a Papa John’s Trophy second round tie in which he scored in] and it was a good game."
He continued: “I liked the way that the team played so I’m really looking forward to being part of that.”
McKenna: “We’re excited to have him here”
Manager McKenna echoed Scarlett’s thoughts on the deal, being really excited about what he can do in an Ipswich shirt.
He said: “Dane is a very exciting, young forward who the staff and I have known about for a long time.
“He is an explosive finisher with both feet and someone who has good movement in the final third. He is also someone who works very well for the team out of possession."
After playing for Portsmouth last season, the former Manchester United coach believes he is ready for the step-up.
“Dane is ready for his second loan spell having gained a year’s worth of experience with Portsmouth last season.
“We feel that puts him in a good position to step up to this level and be an important member of the squad.
We’re excited to have him here.”
