Alfie Devine

Alfie Devine

Personal information
Full name	Alfie Sean Devine [1]
Date of birth	(2004-08-01) 1 August 2004 (age 20) [2]
Place of birth	Warrington, England [3]
Height	1.79 m (5 ft 10 in) [3]
Position(s)	Attacking midfielder
Team information
Current team	Westerlo (on loan from Tottenham Hotspur)
Number	10
Youth career
	Liverpool
2015–2020	Wigan Athletic
2020–2023	Tottenham Hotspur
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2021–	Tottenham Hotspur	0	(0)
2023–2024	→ Port Vale (loan)	20	(2)
2024	→ Plymouth Argyle (loan)	15	(0)
2024–	→ Westerlo (loan)	14	(3)
International career‡
2019	England U16	4	(0)
2021–2022	England U19	13	(2)
2023–	England U20	13	(2)
Medal record Men's football Representing   England UEFA European Under-19 Championship Winner 2022 Slovakia
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:30, 26 December 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 13:30, 27 March 2024 (UTC)

Alfie Sean Devine (born 1 August 2004) is an English professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Belgian Pro League club Westerlo, on loan from Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur.

An England youth international, he won the UEFA European Under-19 Championship with the under-19 team in 2022. He joined Tottenham Hotspur from the youth system of Wigan Athletic for around £300,000 in July 2020 and made his senior debut for Spurs in January 2021. He spent the first half of the 2023–24 season on loan at Port Vale and was loaned out to Plymouth Argyle for the second half. He joined Belgian club Westerlo on loan for the 2024–25 season.

Early life

Alfie Sean Devine was born on 1 August 2004 in Warrington. ^[4] He is the son of Claire Devine, a Human Resources professional and former rugby league scrum-half Sean Devine, who played for St Helens from 1986 to 1991, and Oldham from 1992 to 1993. ^{[5] [6]}

Club career

Early career

Devine was an academy player of Liverpool. ^[7] He was released at the age of 11 and joined Wigan Athletic four months later. ^[8] He made his under-23 debut aged 15, ^[8] and was part of the team that beat Tottenham Hotspur in the fourth round of the 2019–20 FA Youth Cup, coming on as a late substitute. ^[9] He started in the quarter-final against Manchester United at Old Trafford. ^[10] He was signed by Wigan on 6 June 2020. However, Wigan went into administration less than a month later, and he was then sold to Tottenham Hotspur (Spurs) on 28 July for around £300,000. ^{[11] [12]} He spent much of his early career as a holding midfielder, before being moved further forward at Spurs. ^[13]

Tottenham Hotspur

Devine was sent off during an U23 match against Chelsea in December 2020 after becoming involved in a physical confrontation with Danny Drinkwater. ^[14] On 10 January 2021, Devine made his senior debut for Tottenham in the third round match of the FA Cup against Marine. He came on as a substitute at the start of the second half and scored a goal, capping a 5–0 win for Tottenham. His debut at 16 years and 163 days made him the youngest player to have played for Tottenham in a senior game, breaking the record previously held by his under-18 teammate Dane Scarlett. ^{[15] [16]} He turned professional under Nuno Espírito Santo, signing a three-year contract on his 17th birthday. ^[17] The Athletic reported that Antonio Conte was a big fan of Devine, however, the teenager suffered with injuries during the 2021–22 season. ^[18] He was limited to one FA Cup appearance during the 2022–23 campaign. ^[19]

Loan to Port Vale

On 25 August 2023, Devine joined EFL League One club Port Vale on loan for the 2023–24 season. ^[20] He made his debut the following day, in a 1–0 win over Carlisle United at Vale Park. ^[21] He scored his first goal in the English Football League on 2 September, when he converted a stoppage-time penalty kick to secure a 2–1 victory at Oxford United. ^[22] On 31 October, he scored the only goal of the game at Mansfield Town to put the Vale through to the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup for the first time in the club's history. ^[23] The goal won him the Goal of the Round award, whilst he was also named Player of the Round. ^{[24] [25]} Injuries to Ollie Arblaster and Funso Ojo saw Devine moved into a deeper position, where his long-range passing ability saw him excel in the role. ^[26] He was recalled to Spurs on 17 January, having scored three goals and made three assists in his 26 appearances for the Valiants, earning praise from manager Andy Crosby and director of football David Flitcroft. ^[27]

Loan to Plymouth Argyle

On 17 January 2024, Devine joined Plymouth Argyle of the Championship on loan until the end of the 2023–24 season, where director of football Neil Dewsnip noted that head coach Ian Foster had previously selected Devine for international duty in the England setup. ^[28] On 1 April, Devine was sent off after receiving two yellow cards with 12 minutes to go of what proved to be Foster's last game in charge of the club. ^[29] He made nine starts and six substitute appearances, and Dewsnip hinted that the club would try to bring him back for the following season. ^[30]

Loan to Westerlo

On 4 September 2024, Devine joined Belgian Pro League club Westerlo on loan for the 2024–25 season. ^[31]

International career

Devine represented England at under-16 level, playing at the Sportchain AGS Cup in December 2019; the tournament was won by Spain, ^[32] but he was named player of the tournament. ^[33] On 2 September 2021, Devine made his debut for the England U19s during a 2–0 victory over Italy U19s at St. George's Park. ^[34] On 17 June 2022, Devine was included in the U19 squad for the 2022 UEFA European Under-19 Championship. ^[35] He scored in their opening group game against Austria. ^[36] He started in the final as England won the tournament with a 3–1 extra time victory over Israel on 1 July 2022. ^{[37] [38]} Devine made his England U20 debut during a 2–0 win over Germany in Manchester on 22 March 2023. ^[39] On 10 May 2023, he was included in the England squad for the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup. ^{[40] [41]} He scored in a group stage victory over Uruguay and their only goal in the round of 16 elimination against Italy. ^{[42] [43]}

Devine was drafted in to train with the senior team in September 2023, as he and Bashir Humphreys replaced injured duo Bukayo Saka and Levi Colwill. ^[44]

Style of play

Devine is an attacking midfielder with excellent technical skills, such as dribbling and close control. He has good set piece skills and can finish with both feet. ^[45] Manager José Mourinho said he "[has] an instinct to appear in finishing zones and to score goals". ^[46]

Career statistics

As of match played 26 December 2024

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			National Cup		League Cup		Europe		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Tottenham Hotspur	2020–21 [47]	Premier League	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	—		1	1
	2021–22 [48]	Premier League	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	—		0	0
	2022–23 [19]	Premier League	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	—		1	0
	2023–24 [49]	Premier League	0	0	0	0	0	0	—		—		0	0
	2024–25 [50]	Premier League	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	—		0	0
	Total		0	0	2	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	1
Tottenham Hotspur U21	2021–22 [48]	—			—		—		—		1 [a]	0	1	0
Port Vale (loan)	2023–24 [49]	League One	20	2	2	0	4	1	—		0	0	26	3
Plymouth Argyle (loan)	2023–24 [49]	Championship	15	0	0	0	—		—		—		15	0
Westerlo (loan)	2024–25 [50]	Belgian Pro League	14	3	2	0	—		—		—		16	3
Career total			49	5	6	1	4	1	0	0	1	0	60	7

1. Appearance(s) in EFL Trophy

Honours

England U19s

• UEFA European Under-19 Championship: 2022 ^[38]

References

1. "2020/21 Premier League squads confirmed". Premier League . 20 October 2020. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
2. Alfie Devine at Soccerway. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
3. "Alfie Devine". 11v11.com. AFS Enterprises. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
4. "Alfie Devine". Tottenham Hotspur. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
5. Critchley, Mike (10 January 2021). "Alfie Devine makes Tottenham Hotspur FA Cup history". St Helens Star. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
6. "Sean Devine". Rugby League Project. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
7. Spiers, Tim (20 December 2022). "Alfie Devine, My Football Journey: 'There's no one better to look up to than Harry Kane'". The Athletic . Retrieved 26 August 2023.
8. Carroll, Sam (10 January 2021). "Alfie Devine is the former Liverpool youngster who broke Tottenham records". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
9. Ewbank, Harry (8 January 2020). "FA Youth Cup Goals: Latics 2 Tottenham Hotspur 0". Wigan Athletic. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
10. "Watch Live | Manchester United v Wigan Athletic in the FA Youth Cup". Wigan Athletic. 28 February 2020. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
11. Stone, Simon (28 July 2020). "Tottenham sign Wigan youngster Alfie Devine". BBC Sport. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
12. Pattle, Alex (28 July 2020). "Tottenham transfer news: Spurs sign England under-16 Alfie Devine from Wigan". The Independent. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
13. Baggaley, Mike (1 November 2023). "Superb Port Vale make history and the quarter finals". Valiant's Substack. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
14. Ernest, Victor (15 December 2020). "Chelsea's 30-year-old Danny Drinkwater attacked Tottenham's 16-year-old Alfie Devine in an under 23's game". Futball News. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
15. "Devine intervention - youngest-ever Spurs player scores on debut". BBC Sport. 10 January 2021. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
16. Hunter, Andy (10 January 2021). "Carlos Vinícius's hat-trick for Tottenham ends Marine's adventure". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
17. "First pro contract for Devine". Tottenham Hotspur. 1 August 2021. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
18. Eccleshare, Charlie (22 June 2022). "Alfie Devine showing promise for Spurs and England - what will next season bring?". The Athletic. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
19. "Games played by Alfie Devine in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
20. "Port Vale sign Tottenham Hotspur defender on loan". BBC. 25 August 2023. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
21. Swindells, Adam (26 August 2023). "Match Report | Port Vale 1-0 Carlisle United". Port Vale F.C. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
22. Swindells, Adam (2 September 2023). "Match Report | Oxford United 1-2 Port Vale". Port Vale F.C. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
23. Scott, Ged (1 November 2023). "Vale 'brilliant' to reach quarter-final - Devine". BBC Sport. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
24. "Goal of the Round". EFL. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
25. "Player of the Round". EFL. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
26. Baggaley, Mike (4 January 2024). "Injury and transfer window update as Port Vale prepare for Charlton". Valiant's Substack. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
27. "Alfie Devine Recalled by Tottenham Hotspur". Port Vale F.C. 17 January 2024. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
28. "Argyle Sign Alfie Devine on Loan | Plymouth Argyle - PAFC". www.pafc.co.uk. 17 January 2024. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
29. Errington, Chris (2 April 2024). "Alfie Devine suspended for Argyle crunch game at Rotherham". Plymouth Live. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
30. Errington, Chris (6 May 2024). "Argyle keen on loan returns for Alfie Devine and Ashley Phillips". Plymouth Live. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
31. "Westerlo reach agreement to sign Alfie Devine on loan". TheHardTackle.com. 4 September 2024. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
32. "La Selección española de fútbol Sub-16 se proclama campeona de la Sportchain AGS Cup tras empatar con Inglaterra" (in Spanish). sefutbol. 8 December 2019. Archived from the original on 8 July 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
33. "Alfie Devine commits long term future to Wigan Athletic". Wigan Athletic. 6 June 2020. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
34. Veevers, Nicholas (2 September 2021). "England MU19s 2-0 Italy". EnglandFootball.com. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
35. Smith, Frank (17 June 2022). "Ian Foster has picked his 21-strong squad for this month's UEFA U19 EURO Finals in Slovakia". EnglandFootball.com. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
36. Boswell, Zinny (1 July 2022). "Meet England's Young Lions gunning for glory in Under-19s European Championships final against Israel". Sky Sports. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
37. Honeyman, Sam (1 July 2022). "Israel 1-3 England (aet): Chukwuemeka and Ramsey the extra-time heroes as Young Lions fight back". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
38. Veevers, Nicholas (1 July 2022). "England win U19 EURO title after 3-1 win against Israel". EnglandFootball.com. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
39. Lewin, Rebecca (22 March 2023). "Report: England MU20s 2-0 Germany". englandfootball.com. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
40. Veevers, Nick (10 May 2023). "England MU20s squad named for World Cup in Argentina". EnglandFootball.com. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
41. "Fifa Under-20 World Cup: England name squad for tournament". BBC Sport. 11 May 2023. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
42. "Under-20 World Cup: England beat Uruguay to move top of Group E and into last 16". BBC Sport. 25 May 2023. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
43. "England 1-2 Italy". BBC Sport. 31 May 2023. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
44. Kinsella, Nizaar (5 September 2023). "Saka sits out England training as Spurs and Chelsea youngsters drafted in". Evening Standard. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
45. Valman, Orlando (20 May 2022). "Alfie Devine: Tottenham's record-breaking teen destined to be a Premier League star | Goal.com UK". www.goal.com. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
46. Kilpatrick, Dan (11 January 2021). "Tanganga: Devine is a real spark - there's more to come from him". Evening Standard. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
47. "Games played by Alfie Devine in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
48. "Games played by Alfie Devine in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
49. "Games played by Alfie Devine in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
50. "Games played by Alfie Devine in 2024/2025". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 August 2023.

External links

• Profile at the Tottenham Hotspur F.C. website
• Alfie Devine – UEFA competition record ( archive )