Tottenham’s Alfie Devine starred as England reached the knockout stage of the Beneath-20 World Cup after a 3-2 win over Uruguay.
Devine — whom The Athletic is monitoring as a part of the sequence My Soccer Journey: The Highway to 2026 — arrange Chelsea loanee Bashir Humphreys’ Twenty second-minute opener in La Plata, Argentina, earlier than lashing a second himself in first-half stoppage time.
Franco Gonzalez halved the deficit for Uruguay within the forty ninth minute however Leeds United’s Darko Gyabi restored England’s benefit in added time.
Although Matias Abaldo struck once more for Uruguay simply earlier than the full-time whistle, that proved too little, too late.
“It’s huge for us to win,” Devine mentioned after the sport. “We knew the group wouldn’t be on our facet and I believe everybody dug actually deep and I believe we used it as a bonus to encourage us much more. Everybody did fantastically.
“(The gang) motivated us extra. Taking part in in entrance of a crowd like this, you understand you’ll get it. I believe we handled it very well.”
Ian Foster’s facet, who final performed on the event after they received it in 2017, high Group E and have reached the final 16 with a recreation to spare.
England will play Iraq of their last group recreation on Sunday.
The facet that finishes high in Group E is ready to face the second-place facet in Group D — at the moment Brazil — on Might 31.
Devine: ‘World Cup 2026? It’s the ‘why not?’ issue’
Devine was an academy participant at Liverpool who was launched when he was 11, earlier than becoming a member of Wigan Athletic.
After impressing for the under-23s, he was bought to Tottenham Hotspur for £300,000 in July 2020 when Wigan went into administration.
Capped for England’s under-16s and under-19s, Jose Mourinho gave Devine his senior debut for Spurs within the third spherical of the FA Cup in opposition to Marine in January 2021. He scored inside minutes.
“Each time I watch again the Marine aim, it nonetheless feels a bit bizarre,” he instructed The Athletic. “For the week after, I couldn’t imagine it. I didn’t suppose I’d come on at half-time. I used to be very nervous, I’ll admit that.
“I used to be in 12 months seven after I was launched by Liverpool. The toughest half was worrying about what my mates have been going to say. Feeling embarrassed about it once you shouldn’t. I didn’t wish to go to high school as a result of individuals would ask, ‘Why aren’t you at Liverpool anymore?’. You don’t wish to say you bought launched. But it surely’s not likely a nasty factor, numerous high professionals have been launched from golf equipment at an early age.”
“Everybody’s dream is to develop into a Premier League participant and that’s what I’m wanting ahead to now. As soon as I’ve achieved that, that’s when you’ll be able to have a look at different stuff.
“I positively take into consideration England. My first recreation was with the under-16s in opposition to Scotland… pulling on that shirt, the sensation you get is wonderful.”
And World Cup 2026? “It’s the ‘why not?’ issue. You’re taking day-after-day because it comes, stuff like that you simply look ahead to, however the bits in between, in case you don’t get these proper, you’ll by no means obtain it.”
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My Soccer Journey: The Highway to 2026
My Soccer Journey: The Highway to 2026 is a sequence following a few of the most enjoyable younger footballers on the planet throughout a key second of their careers.
It would comply with the highs, the setbacks, and the laborious work they and their golf equipment are placing in, and present how totally different their journeys are as they dream of constructing it to the 2026 World Cup.
Learn extra under in regards to the highly-rated kids — recognized for us with the assistance of the scouts who work for Soccer Supervisor — as they work in the direction of the Holy Grail of a spot on the 2026 event in the US, Canada and Mexico.
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Introducing My Soccer Journey – monitoring seven younger stars on the trail to the 2026 World Cup
(Photograph: Getty Photos)