Aberdeen have sealed a loan move for 19-year-old Tottenham Hotspur centre-back Alfie Dorrington in the January transfer window – but who is he?
The Dons held successful talks with the English Premier League club regarding a switch for the England U19 international until the end of the season.
Boss Jimmy Thelin had already bolstered the defence during the winter window with the capture of centre-back Kristers Tobers.
Latvia international captain Tobers, 24, was secured in a £600,000 transfer from Swiss club Grasshoppers and made an impressive debut in the 0-0 draw with Hearts.
Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou, the former Celtic manager, recently confirmed he aimed to send Dorrington out on loan to get regular game-time.
But who is the teen defender and why is he so highly rated at Spurs?
Dorrington’s pride at Premier League debut for Spurs
A commanding centre-back, Dorrington made his first team debut for Tottenham in a 5-0 Premier League away win against Southampton last month.
He came on for Djed Spence after 77 minutes.
Dorrington had been pushing for a Tottenham debut for some time, having been on the bench for 14 previous games without getting on.
The youngster was an integral part of Spurs’ youth side who completed the Under-17 and Under-18 Premier League Cup double in 2022-23.
He was also a regular for Tottenham’s under-21s, and started five of Spurs’ six games in the UEFA Youth League.
A product of Tottenham’s youth academy, Dorrington joined the club at U13 level from Cockfosters FC.
On making his first team debut, he told Tottenham’s official website: “It’s a true honour.
“I’ve watched so many of those players, now I’m part of it.
“It’s funny, when I was a young boy, I didn’t even think of being here on a day like this.
“I just enjoyed playing football.
“Now, I’ve come on and made my Premier League debut for the team I grew up watching.
“It’s unbelievable, really.
“My whole family are Spurs (fans) – for them to be here when I made my debut, that was special.
“It’s amazing to think I started in the academy with the under-13s, straight from Sunday league, five years ago now.
“I’ve been around the squad, been on the bench a few times, but never actually came on.
“It’s about being patient, but this shows you can do it.
“Then the moment comes, and I was thinking: ‘This is what I’ve worked for my whole life’.”
Learning from the stars at Spurs
Defender Dorrington was an unused substitute in Spurs’ 3-0 victory at Tamworth in the FA Cup on Sunday.
In 2023, he signed a contract extension tying him to Tottenham Hotspur until summer 2026, and has now extended it further to 2029 before heading to the Granite City.
Dorrington was a stand-out at the club’s academy due to his commanding presence, calmness in possession and passing range.
He made three appearances for Spurs’ under-18s while he was still at school.
The defender was named in a first-team match-day squad for the first time in November 2023 against Wolves – but had to wait for his debut.
When it finally came against Southampton, he was given some valuable advice by Tottenham captain Heung-Min Son.
Dorrington said: “It’s amazing to learn from the best, every day.
“Even when I’m not training, I’m still looking at the games, looking at what the players do to try to continue developing my game.
“The players are so welcoming.
“I didn’t feel as if I was a young player, as such, with that pressure.
“They just treated me as normal and that really helped me settle in.
“Just before I went on, Sonny was behind me, shouting at me to be ready, telling me this is what I’d worked for.”
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