Tottenham Hotspur’s outstanding Portsmouth loanee fired warning as hurtling emergence continues
Dane Scarlett’s ‘ridiculous’ talent has been lauded as his senior emergence continues.
But the Tottenham Hotspur loanee has been warned he can’t let his impressive level of performance slip, with quality attacking talent breathing down his neck at Pompey.
Scarlett completed his first League One 90 minutes in last weekend’s 3-2 reverse at Ipswich Town.
The England under-20 international gave another glimpse of his quality as he left Tractor Boys defender Luke Woolfenden for dead, before being pulled down by Christian Walton to win a first-half penalty.
Reeco Hackett, like the rest of his Pompey team-mates, has been blown away by Scarlett’s talent after watching him in action at close quarters.
He has sympathy for opposition defences tasked with containing the pace, aggression and finishing quality the Londoner possesses.
Hackett said: ‘It is ridiculous.
‘He’s a young boy coming in and if you look at him, he is still a kid.
‘So to see how well he’s doing and how good a player he is in training is something.
‘He is ridiculous on the pitch.
‘He just terrorises defences for 90 minutes.
‘He is a top, top player. I think we had another top, top player last season in Gav (Bazunu).
‘I don’t want to jinx him, but that’s where he’s going - right to the top.
‘He’s very hungry and aggressive.
‘He may not be the biggest size, but he probably wants to win the ball more than anyone else on the pitch. That shows.
‘Ultimately he’s got goals and is bullying people.’
Despite Scarlett earning so many plaudits in his 13 Pompey performances to date, Hackett believes the striker can ill afford to rest on his laurels.
With a player of the ability of Joe Pigott behind the teenager and Colby Bishop in the striking pecking order at present, he feels Scarlett isn’t untouchable in Cowley’s starting XI
Hackett added: ‘He plays at a really high level, but the squad is so strong here and he has people breathing down his neck.
‘But if he keeps performing how he is it’s only going to end positively, because it’s going to push the people behind him who know what they have to get in front of as well.’