'Spurs don't need to buy anyone - just play the kids'

For much than an hr Tottenham were heading for different nighttime of frustration.

After nary wins successful 7 successful the Premier League, Ange Postecoglou's squad struggled against Swedish qualifiers Elfsborg successful the Europa League.

The nonaccomplishment of yet different subordinate to wounded did not assistance the temper wrong Tottenham Hotspur Stadium arsenic substitute Radu Dragusin joined the club's spiralling casualty list.

Then 20-year-old Dane Scarlett headed Spurs up earlier 19-year-old Damola Ajayi - conscionable 3 minutes and 39 seconds into his debut - produced a assured decorativeness to marque it 2-0.

Tottenham were already heading for a triumph and a spot successful the past 16 erstwhile Mikey Moore produced the decorativeness of the night, a debased changeable aft a clever run.

It was a beauteous moment.

At 17 years and 172 days old, London-born Moore became the youngest English subordinate to people successful large men's European competition, breaking Jimmy Greaves' grounds (17 years 245 days), acceptable successful October 1957.

Greaves, who became a Spurs legend, was a Chelsea subordinate astatine the clip of his goal.

Moore has been with Spurs since the property of seven.

"A instrumentality conscionable said to maine past - conscionable play the kids, we don't request to bargain anyone," erstwhile Tottenham striker Peter Crouch told TNT Sports.

Tottenham fans person not had excessively overmuch to outcry astir recently, but the show of Scarlett, Ajayi and Moore each scoring their archetypal elder goals for the nine lifted the atmosphere.

"I conscionable said it was made successful Tottenham tonight," said Spurs brag Postecoglou afterwards.

"It's superb for the nine and I'm definite determination are academy coaches and players who won't slumber contiguous due to the fact that they are beauteous excited.

"We benignant of knew we would person to trust connected immoderate young players tonight, and each the mode done this run to beryllium honest.

"I thought they stood up truly well. The full radical played good but we were going to request immoderate young boys to marque an interaction and not conscionable the 3 goalscorers.

"We had a mates of 18-year-olds successful determination arsenic good who proceed to thrust america on. So it is simply a large nighttime for the nine and thing the full academy should beryllium arrogant of."

Scarlett had been connected indebtedness successful the Championship astatine Oxford United until recently.

"There was a definite fig nine, Harry Kane, astatine this shot nine that went connected indebtedness to Leyton Orient, Millwall, Leicester, and ended up becoming a fable of this club," said Crouch.

"Of people that is simply a batch for Dane Scarlett to unrecorded up to, that calibre of player. But erstwhile helium came connected I thought his all-round crippled was brilliant."

Forward Scarlett has besides had indebtedness spells successful the Championship astatine Ipswich and successful League One with Portsmouth.

London-born Ajayi was astatine Bromley earlier joining Tottenham's academy.

The guardant made 2 appearances for the under-18s successful 2021-22 portion inactive a schoolboy.

Meanwhile, attacking midfielder Moore joined Tottenham a decennary agone and has progressed done the ranks to play for the archetypal team.

Earlier this season, Tottenham's England midfielder James Maddison likened Moore to Brazil's Neymar.

"From infinitesimal 45 to 65 I thought we had Neymar connected the near wing," said Maddison astir Moore aft the Europa League triumph implicit AZ Alkmaar connected 24 October.

"He was brilliant. Just demanding the shot and fearless."

Tottenham became the archetypal English broadside to person 3 scorers nether the property of 21 successful a large European lucifer since Arsenal successful October 2007.

The triumph implicit Elfsborg meant Spurs debar an unwanted two-leg play-off successful February.

They person 4 Premier League games - arsenic good arsenic an EFL Cup semi-final 2nd limb against Liverpool and an FA Cup fourth-round necktie against Aston Villa - earlier they play successful Europe again.

"The information the 3 young lads person travel into the squad and scored and made the difference, it's conscionable lifted the full place," added Crouch.

"The manager has been nether truthful overmuch unit and nether truthful overmuch stress.

"But everyone's coming distant pleased contiguous due to the fact that they've seen 3 young lads commencement their careers."