Danny Rose given runout for Tottenham U21 side

As a player who was once seen as a future England regular, it is fair to say things have not worked out for Danny Rose. After scoring that ridiculous goal against Arsenal all those years ago, hype for the Leeds United youth product went through the roof. He was never really able to sustain that kind of consistency, and became an in-and-out player under numerous coaches. Under Mauricio Pochettino, the England man gave his best performances in a Spurs shirt before predictably regressing.

Now without a club after being let go by Watford, the ex-Spur is on the lookout for a new opportunity. It was a surprise, then, to see him loitering around the pitch wearing the No. 3 in a Spurs U21 game. Two years after making his infamous ‘one more match’ request at the club, Rose looks like he might have gotten his wish. Sadly, it is not at the new stadium – instead, it is in a reserve warm-up game ahead of the new season.

Scoring a wondergoal in the biggest game of the season as a 19-year-old can throw a lot of players off track. Few players who have played for Spurs in the modern era, though, can say they know the challenges of breaking through into the first team quite like he does. If he can offer even a glimpse of his experience and his understanding of what has gone right – and wrong – in his career, it could be invaluable.

Still, do not expect Rose to be signing for Spurs. His fitness and his conditioning is simply not at the level expected for Antonio Conte. With a backlog at left wing-back, too, there is precious little room for Rose. It might be a romantic option for the fans, but it is unlikely that a calculated coach like Conte would take such a gamble on a player who has not really done much ever since the late-2010s.

Rose played over 200 games for Spurs – it is unlikely he will get to add to that appearance quantity in the future. Still, it was nice to see a player who is beloved by many fans get one more shot in the white.