Tottenham’s Alfie Devine starred as England progressed to the knockout stages of the Beneath-20 Globe Cup with a three-two win more than Uruguay.
Devine — who The Athletic follows as aspect of a series My Football Journey: The Road to 2026 — he set up Chelsea loanee Bashir Humphreys’ 22nd-minute opener in La Plata, Argentina, ahead of hitting a second himself in initially-half stoppage time.
Franco Gonzalez halved Uruguay’s deficit in the 49th minute, but Leeds United’s Darko Djabi restored England’s lead in stoppage time.
Despite the fact that Matias Abaldo struck once again for Uruguay just ahead of the complete-time whistle, it proved also small, also late.
“It is a huge win for us,” Devine stated soon after the game. “We knew the crowd wasn’t going to be on our side and I assume every person dug deep and I assume we utilised that as an benefit to motivate us even much more.” Absolutely everyone did fantastic.
“(The audience) motivated us much more. Playing in front of a crowd like this, you know you happen to be going to get it. I assume we handled it genuinely properly.”
Ian Foster’s side, who final played in the tournament when they won it in 2017, best Group E and reached the final 16 with a game in hand.
England will play Iraq in their final group game on Sunday.
The group that finishes initially in Group E will face the runner-up in Group D — presently Brazil — on May possibly 31.
Devine: Globe Cup 2026? It is ‘why not?’ factor’
Devine was an academy player at Liverpool who was released when he was 11, ahead of joining Wigan Athletic.
Following impressing for the beneath-23s, he was sold to Tottenham Hotspur for £300,000 in July 2020 when Wigan went into administration.
Capped by England beneath-16s and beneath-19s, Jose Mourinho gave Devine his senior debut for Spurs in the FA Cup third round against Mariners in January 2021. He scored inside minutes.
“Each and every time I appear back at the Marine Corps target, it nevertheless feels a small weird,” he stated The Athletic. “A week later, I could not think it.” I did not assume I would come in at halftime. I was really nervous, I admit.
“I was in the seventh year when I was released by Liverpool. The hardest aspect was worrying about what my close friends would say. You really feel embarrassed about it when you should not. I did not want to go to college simply because folks would ask, ‘Why are not you in Liverpool any longer?’ You do not want to say you have been let go. But that is not genuinely a negative issue, lots of best specialists are fired from clubs at an early age.
“It is everyone’s dream to turn into a Premier League player and that is what I am seeking forward to now.” When I’ve accomplished that, then you can watch other points.
“I am absolutely considering about England.” My initially game was with the beneath-16s against Scotland… pulling on that shirt, the feeling you get is remarkable.”
And the 2026 Globe Cup? “It is ‘why not?’ element. You take each and every day as it comes, the sort of points you appear forward to, but the divide in in between, if you do not get it appropriate, you are going to under no circumstances reach it.”
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My Football Journey: The Road to 2026
My Football Journey: The Road to 2026 is a series that follows some of the world’s most fascinating young footballers through a pivotal moment in their careers.
It will adhere to the ups, downs and difficult function they and their clubs place in and show how unique their paths are as they dream of reaching the 2026 Globe Cup.
Study much more under about the extremely-rated youngsters — identified for us with the assist of scouts functioning for Football Manager — as they function towards the holy grail of spots at the 2026 tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
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Introducing My Football Journey – following seven young stars on their way to the 2026 Globe Cup.
(Photo: Getty Pictures)