Portsmouth boss' positive message to Spurs after starlet suffers Fratton Park 'adversity' in disappointing stay

That’s the verdict of John Mousinho, who is convinced the starlet’s frustrating Fratton Park experience can be the making of him.

Much was anticipated from the youngster’s season-long loan, yet, despite a bright beginning, Scarlett’s season petered out disappointingly.

The attacker started just four matches following Mousinho’s January arrival, while was unused off the bench for the final four fixtures.

In total, the England under-20 international netted six times in 39 outings – although scored once since mid-November.

But Mousinho is adamant the 19-year-old will have learnt crucial career lessons from his maiden loan spell.

He told The News: ‘Dane is a fantastic talent and his time at Pompey might seem negative to him, but I don’t think it is.

‘It’s just part of the learning curve, part of the fact that your first loan to a Football League club can be tough, there’s a lot to take into account.

‘If you come away from a loan spell like Dane did, having played 39 games, scored six goals, had experience at League One level, having had success, having had adversity, I think that’s really, really positive.

‘Sometimes players go on loan and don't have much playing time at all, there’s no exposure, they don't face any of the highs and lows of football because they’re not involved that much.

‘He’s had that involvement and I’m 100 per cent sure that, when he looks back on his career, this loan has played a huge role in the formation of him as a football player.

‘I am sure Dane wouldn’t have thought of it as a particular positive sitting on the bench and not playing, but one day it will sink how valuable everything was.

‘It has definitely made him a better player. He’s had exposure to League One football, he has seen how difficult it is, the competitiveness, the pressure of playing at Fratton Park, the pressure of playing away from home, that’s a big step up.

‘To come to a football club this size on your first loan and have that demand, I think you learn a huge amount from that and can only improve.

‘Football is a tough, tough game, speak to anybody right at the top and they've had some adversity at some point in their career.’

Scarlett has featured 10 times for Spurs since making his debut in the Europa League in November 2020.

At the time aged 16 years and 247 days, he remains the youngest player to have appeared in a competitive match for the Premier League giants.

And Mousinho is anticipating a bright future for the talented attacker.

He added: ‘If Dane wants to play as a nine at Spurs, he has someone pretty good to dislodge, that’s a really good target for him.

‘It’s probably important for him to get a second loan next season, going out and playing a few more games – if not he’ll see what he can do at Spurs.

‘I know they think really highly of him and we’ll be watching his progress with interest.’