Tottenham Hotspur still have a long way to go under manager Thomas Frank, but with such an exciting squad, fans have every reason to be excited about the club’s long-term success.
There has been a real wave of investment in youth in recent years, with Lukas Bergvall and Luka Vuskovic being among the formative players acquired after showing signs of incredible potential. But the next superstar has yet to emerge.
Harry Kane is the most notable graduate to kick a ball this season, with the Three Lions captain having a devastating run for club and country this season. Kane is without a doubt one of the greatest Londoners of all time.
Tottenham’s all-time leading scorer | ||
|---|---|---|
player | app | the goal |
harry kane | 435 | 280 |
jimmy greaves | 376 | 266 |
bobby smith | 316 | 211 |
son heung min | 454 | 173 |
Martin Chivers | 350 | 167 |
Dates via Transfermarkt | ||
How much Frank covets the qualities of this 32-year-old. He will be the crown jewel of N17 this season. But Kane is not the only former Spurs striker that Troy Parrott has spent his life developing.
Parrott’s performance since leaving Spurs
Parrott left Tottenham in July 2024 to join Dutch Eredivisie side AZ Alkmaar in a move worth around £7 million. He has only made four first-team appearances for Spurs, coming off five loan spells away, the last of which was a prolific spell with Excelsior in the Netherlands.
However, the 2024/25 season became the masterpiece of his young career. The 23-year-old has flourished at Alkmaar and is using that platform as a springboard to new heights with the Ireland national team.
Indeed, after scoring 13 goals and providing two assists in 14 games across all competitions for his club this season, Parrott led his team to World Cup qualification with his country’s national team, scoring twice in last week’s surprise victory over Portugal.
But it was his sublime hat-trick against Hungary on Sunday night that cemented Parrott’s new reputation as a hero of his homeland and one of the most talented up-and-coming strikers.
How much Spurs regret letting Frank go, especially given the current challenges Frank faces at number nine. That being said, there is a potential replacement on the wing who could be seen as the club’s new version of Kane.
Spurs’ new version of Harry Kane
Dane Scarlett may have been envisaged for a bigger role at this stage of his career, but the 21-year-old Tottenham talent definitely still has the potential to make his mark at the club.
Scarlets, who has been hailed as a “diamond” of prospects by former manager Jose Mourinho in the past, found his way back into the equation after a series of loan spells last season, and in this he could emulate Kane and take a step forward where Parrott was unable to.
Curiously, Kane completed a series of loan spells from Tottenham before establishing himself as one of the best strikers of his generation. He was 21 years old when everything came together in London.
Scarlett shouldn’t be fired, yet. The player, described by Frank as a “fantastic finisher”, scored his first goal for the club in last season’s Europa League and although Frank is yet to unleash him in the Premier League, the 5ft 11 striker has been on the bench five times in the club’s last seven games.
TNT Sports pundit Peter Crouch said after last season’s win over Elfborg that Scarlett reminded him of a young Kane and showed the resilience that saw him rise after a series of loan spells to become one of Tottenham’s greatest players.
Parrott may have seen such a chance for success pass him by, but it’s never too late for the Scarlets and given the club’s current attacking problems, one golden opportunity could blossom into a prosperous future at No. 17 North.
However, given his performance so far at senior level, it wouldn’t be too surprising if things ended the way they did for Parrott. Move to another location.
