Tottenham’s Alfie Devine has been urged to emulate the progress of a former Everton player by the Preston manager.Alfie Devine is currently out on loan at Championship side Preston North End. The 21-year-old midfielder showed flashes of his quality during Spurs’ pre-season but was eventually sent out on loan this summer to continue his development.Devine has since become a mainstay for Preston, featuring nine times for the Championship club, with seven being starts. Preston boss Paul Heckingbottom has now expressed his belief that Devine is ready for recognition at the international level, as he wants him to follow in the footsteps of teammate Thierry Small, who recently broke into the England Under-21 squad.Credit: Tom Cusden / @cusdenPaul Heckingbottom has big plans for Tottenham’s Alfie DevinePaul Heckingbottom wants Alfie Devine to join teammate Thierry Small in the England Under-21 setup, believing the Tottenham loanee has shown enough progress to deserve the opportunity.Small earned his maiden call-up to the Young Lions in September and was invited back again this month, a move that Heckingbottom described as a reward for his attitude and development. Speaking to Lancashire Post, the North End boss revealed he wants Devine to follow a similar path.“Yeah, my aim is to try and get Alfie (Devine) in that as well this season,” said Heckingbottom. “I think it’s great recognition and something that Thierry can be proud of. But it is a stepping stone, is it not?“You cannot be satisfied with a stepping stone. But yeah, it is good. He went away in the first one; feedback was good. He did not get minutes but they called him up again, so you know then the feedback was truthful and they were happy with him.“Then, he gets some minutes in the first game (this time) which is great, so his job is to try and sustain that. The 21s are totally different from the other age groups. It is serious. It is under-21s, but it is under-21 at the start of each cycle and campaign.“So you are actually playing with 23, 24-year-olds who are the best in the country. It is a big achievement to get in that squad. Thierry has openly said it and we have lots of players who have ambitions to be performing in the Premier League.“The majority there are in the Premier League, so you get an eye-opener as to the talent that the players have. One or two will have the mentality as well and already be performing at the top. That recognition is a really big motivator for you to keep going and drive on and try and get more.”Spurs will be watching Devine’s development closelyFor Tottenham, there will be a keen interest in how Alfie Devine continues to progress during his time away from north London. The young midfielder has yet to establish himself in the club’s first team, but the potential is clearly there for him to make a breakthrough.With Yves Bissouma’s future uncertain and Rodrigo Bentancur still searching for consistency following this season, Devine’s continued improvement could open a pathway for him to earn a place in Thomas Frank’s plans next season.READ MORE: Tottenham announce another new addition to leadership structure after poaching from City GroupThe post Tottenham will love what Preston manager just revealed about his Alfie Devine plan appeared first on Spurs Web.