Huge former Fratton favourite’s big admission over Spurs starlett after maiden Portsmouth goal

However, the League Two promotion hero gave a word of warning to Blues boss Danny Cowley following the 18-year-old’s maiden professional goal.

The England under-19 international grabbed the winner in Saturday’s 1-0 victory over Port Vale, which saw Pompey climb to the League One summit.

Despite only having one strike to his name, Scarlett has enjoyed a successful start to the campaign, featuring in every game in all competitions.

Indeed, those performances have seen him praised by both Cowley and his team-mates, with Marlon Pack the latest to back the youngster to succeed.

Following the victory, Evans believes the Spurs loanee is wiser than his age suggests and was full of praise for his performance at Vale Park.

He told BBC Radio Solent: ‘I was told before the game that he’s young, he’s very raw, he’s got bags of pace so I was expecting a different performance from him. But he looked like an older head on a younger lads body.

‘He looked like he could run all day, albeit he did run out of batteries midway through the second half because he hasn’t had a lot of football.

‘But he posed that threat in behind that was so vital for Pompey in terms of Port Vale playing that high-line, getting over it and going through it.

‘That goal will do him the world of good and it’ll be the first of many for Portsmouth for sure.’

The 18-year-old’s switch to Pompey marked his first professional move away from Spurs after coming through the ranks at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Although Evans tipped the Scarlett to be the difference in the Blues’ promotion chase, he believes Cowley should side on the err of caution ahead of a long League One season.

He continued: ‘When you see the quality he possesses you will not want him sat on the bench, you will want him to play 90 minutes Saturday-Tuesday-Saturday.

‘As everyone knows, realistically with strength and conditioning that isn’t possible. Especially with a young lad, you have to look after him and have to monitor him and it was the perfect time to take him off today.

‘He’d done his job, played perfectly well and he got his goal, so hopefully that's a sign of things to come in the way that they're going to protect him.

‘If they can keep him on the field, then the club will be in and around the promotion places come May.’