Ange Postecoglou has revealed that following his loan spell at Championship side Oxford United, Dane Scarlett returned to Tottenham not in the best physical condition.Dane Scarlett has spent the last few years away from Tottenham Hotspur, gaining experience on loan.In the summer of 2024, the young forward was sent to Oxford United, where he showed glimpses of promise, netting four goals in 20 appearances for the U’s.Despite his potential, his loan spell was cut short this winter. Though he had moments of quality in the Championship, he struggled to secure a consistent place in the side, prompting his return to North London.(Credit: Tom Cusden / @cusden)Ange Postecoglou implies Dane Scarlett needs to work on his fitnessSince rejoining Ange Postecoglou’s squad, Scarlett has continued to display his talent. He played a key role in Tottenham’s Europa League victory over IF Elfsborg, scoring and assisting in an impressive performance.Against Ipswich Town, the young forward provided an assist, delivering a pinpoint header from his own half to set up Dejan Kulusevski, who finished beautifully.Despite his contributions, Postecoglou has now admitted that Scarlett’s physical condition was not at its best upon his return. Speaking to football.london, the Spurs boss said: “Yeah, look, he is working hard. Dane, like you said, has had a couple of difficult loans and that is part of the process for him. “We were just talking about Djed, who had three difficult loans, so some of it is just perseverance, keeping your head down and waiting for your opportunity. “He has done well for us. I said when he came back, he was not in the greatest physical condition and he is working hard on that. Hopefully, he gets more opportunities.”Postecoglou also offered a tongue-in-cheek take on Scarlett’s assists, adding: “As an aside, I have got to say the assist is the most useless statistic in world football. “Seriously, it could come off your backside, fall to somebody on the halfway line, and he scores, and it is an assist. So it does not impress me, but Dane’s assist at the weekend was a good one.”What does the future hold for Scarlett at Tottenham?Postecoglou’s comparison between Scarlett and Djed Spence feels accurate. Spence, too, endured difficult loans, and it took a major injury crisis for him to be handed an opportunity at Spurs.Tottenham’s attacking options are currently stretched thin, with Mathys Tel the only recognised striker available following injuries to Dominic Solanke and Richarlison. Yet, Scarlett’s fitness appears to be a key factor in why he is not seeing more minutes.With strong competition for places, the young striker faces an uphill battle to break into the first team. If he continues to struggle for game time, he could well follow the path of Troy Parrott, who sought opportunities elsewhere in a bid to continue his development.The post Ange Postecoglou reveals Tottenham player did not arrive in the ‘greatest physical condition’ appeared first on Spurs Web.