Former Argyle loanees

Former Argyle loanees Alfie Devine and Ashley Phillips were half-time substitutes for Tottenham Hotspur in a friendly game against Newcastle United in Australia in front of a 78,000 crowd.

Tottenham should consider allowing Ashley Phillips and Alfie Devine to stay for a second season on loan at Plymouth Argyle.

Phillips, 18, and Devine, 19, have both enjoyed fruitful loan spells in Plymouth this season and the Championship club are reportedly keen to retain their services for the 2024/25 campaign.

The teenage pair arrived at the club in the winter window and helped the promoted side stave off the drop in dramatic fashion, finishing one point ahead of Birmingham City following a final-day victory over play-off hopefuls Hull City.

Both players started that decisive game and the opportunity to continue gaining valuable senior experience in a familiar environment seems too good for Spurs and Ange Postecoglou to pass up.

Ashley Phillips and Alfie Devine development at Plymouth Argyle benefits Tottenham
Of the pair, it is the younger man, Phillips, who cemented himself more in the starting line-up at Argyle, making 20 appearances totalling 1,592 minutes between the Championship and the FA Cup [Transfermarkt].

The 18-year-old became a regular fixture on the right side of the back three most commonly employed by the second-tier side, starting all but four games following his arrival in January.

Devine was also thrown in from the beginning, starting each of the club’s first six league games after his winter move – but he was used more sparingly as the threat of relegation began to loom, starting just three more matches until the end of the season.

Nonetheless, Plymouth appears to be a good environment for the young duo to develop and there is a risk that moving them to a new club – perhaps one competing higher up in the Championship – coincides with a drop in opportunities for them to play.

It seems like a renewal of both players’ loan terms at Plymouth could benefit all parties.

Tgwu wrote:

Tottenham should consider allowing Ashley Phillips and Alfie Devine to stay for a second season on loan at Plymouth Argyle.

Phillips, 18, and Devine, 19, have both enjoyed fruitful loan spells in Plymouth this season and the Championship club are reportedly keen to retain their services for the 2024/25 campaign.

The teenage pair arrived at the club in the winter window and helped the promoted side stave off the drop in dramatic fashion, finishing one point ahead of Birmingham City following a final-day victory over play-off hopefuls Hull City.

Both players started that decisive game and the opportunity to continue gaining valuable senior experience in a familiar environment seems too good for Spurs and Ange Postecoglou to pass up.

Ashley Phillips and Alfie Devine development at Plymouth Argyle benefits Tottenham
Of the pair, it is the younger man, Phillips, who cemented himself more in the starting line-up at Argyle, making 20 appearances totalling 1,592 minutes between the Championship and the FA Cup [Transfermarkt].

The 18-year-old became a regular fixture on the right side of the back three most commonly employed by the second-tier side, starting all but four games following his arrival in January.

Devine was also thrown in from the beginning, starting each of the club’s first six league games after his winter move – but he was used more sparingly as the threat of relegation began to loom, starting just three more matches until the end of the season.

Nonetheless, Plymouth appears to be a good environment for the young duo to develop and there is a risk that moving them to a new club – perhaps one competing higher up in the Championship – coincides with a drop in opportunities for them to play.

It seems like a renewal of both players’ loan terms at Plymouth could benefit all parties.

hard no from me. The defence was better without phillips in it and what did Devine do? We need championship standard players and they werent it. Maybe in a season or two's time they will be but i would like us to move on.