‘Spurs don’t need to buy anyone – just play the kids’

For more than an hour Tottenham were heading for another night of frustration.

After no wins in seven in the Premier League, Ange Postecoglou’s team struggled against Swedish qualifiers Elfsborg in the Europa League.

The loss of yet another player to injury did not help the mood inside Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as substitute Radu Dragusin joined the club’s spiralling casualty list.

Then 20-year-old Dane Scarlett headed Spurs ahead before 19-year-old Damola Ajayi – just three minutes and 39 seconds into his debut – produced a confident finish to make it 2-0.

Tottenham were already heading for a win and a place in the last 16 when Mikey Moore produced the finish of the night, a low shot after a clever run.

It was a lovely moment.

At 17 years and 172 days old, London-born Moore became the youngest English player to score in major men’s European competition, breaking Jimmy Greaves’ record (17 years 245 days), set in October 1957.

Greaves, who became a Spurs legend, was a Chelsea player at the time of his goal.

Moore has been with Spurs since the age of seven.

“A fan just said to me then – just play the kids, we don’t need to buy anyone,” former Tottenham striker Peter Crouch told TNT Sports.

Tottenham fans have not had too much to shout about recently, but the sight of Scarlett, Ajayi and Moore all scoring their first senior goals for the club lifted the atmosphere.

“I just said it was made in Tottenham tonight,” said Spurs boss Postecoglou afterwards.

“It’s brilliant for the club and I’m sure there are academy coaches and players who won’t sleep tonight because they are pretty excited.

“We kind of knew we would have to rely on some young players tonight, and all the way through this campaign to be honest.

“I thought they stood up really well. The whole group played well but we were going to need some young boys to make an impact and not just the three goalscorers.

“We had a couple of 18-year-olds in there as well who continue to drive us on. So it is a great night for the club and something the whole academy should be proud of.”

Scarlett had been on loan in the Championship at Oxford United until recently.

“There was a certain number nine, Harry Kane, at this football club that went on loan to Leyton Orient, Millwall, Leicester, and ended up becoming a legend of this club,” said Crouch.

“Of course that is a lot for Dane Scarlett to live up to, that calibre of player. But when he came on I thought his all-round game was brilliant.”

Forward Scarlett has also had loan spells in the Championship at Ipswich and in League One with Portsmouth.

London-born Ajayi was at Bromley before joining Tottenham’s academy.

The forward made two appearances for the under-18s in 2021-22 while still a schoolboy.

Meanwhile, attacking midfielder Moore joined Tottenham a decade ago and has progressed through the ranks to play for the first team.

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

“From minute 45 to 65 I thought we had Neymar on the left wing,” said Maddison about Moore after the Europa League win over AZ Alkmaar on 24 October.

“He was brilliant. Just demanding the ball and fearless.”

Tottenham became the first English side to have three scorers under the age of 21 in a major European match since Arsenal in October 2007.

The win over Elfsborg meant Spurs avoid an unwanted two-leg play-off in February.

They have four Premier League games – as well as an EFL Cup semi-final second leg against Liverpool and an FA Cup fourth-round tie against Aston Villa – before they play in Europe again.

“The fact the three young lads have come into the team and scored and made the difference, it’s just lifted the whole place,” added Crouch.

“The manager has been under so much pressure and under so much stress.

“But everyone’s coming away pleased tonight because they’ve seen three young lads start their careers.”