History was made on what was a surprisingly pleasant Champions League night for Thomas Frank's Tottenham, as 17-year-old Jun'ai Byfield became the youngest player to appear in the competition for the Lilywhites.
Byfield was a second-half replacement for the injured Lucas Bergvall, playing the final third of the contest at right-back, which facilitated Pedro Porro's move into midfield.
The defender was among a teenager-heavy substitutes bench at Frank's disposal, with the Dane having just 11 fit senior outfielders for Dortmund's visit off the back of a woeful home Premier League defeat to West Ham United.
Saturday felt like end times for Ange Postecoglou's successor, but Frank survived the latest nadir and oversaw perhaps the most impressive performance of his tenure so far. It was a night he so desperately needed, and the emergence of Byfield merely added to the good feeling surrounding the victory.
Jun'ai Byfield makes Tottenham history in feel-good Borussia Dortmund win
Despite playing out of position, Byfield looked at ease on his Spurs debut. The 17-year-old was keen to assert himself in the air and quick to snap into challenges. He looks like a clean technician with the ball at his feet, too, and was seldom flustered.
Supporters were left impressed by the teenager's cameo, and Byfield certainly has an admirer in Frank. Speaking about the history-maker post-match, the Spurs boss said (via The Spurs Express on X): “He didn’t look out of place… I rate him highly. It’s one thing to make your debut in the final minutes of a game, but to come in on a Champions League night against Dortmund like that when you need to win. Wow. So calm and assured.”
Such comments make you wonder why Frank hasn't turned to a mightily exciting generation of Lilywhite youngsters sooner, with creative midfielder Luca Williams-Barnett another who's garnered plenty of attention. He made his senior debut during the Carabao Cup victory over Doncaster Rovers in September, but hasn't seen the field since.
Given how unpopular he's become, it's surprising that Frank hasn't attempted to secure easy brownie points by handing more opportunities to the club's starlets.
It took a one-off unavailability crisis for Byfield to take to the field on Tuesday night, and you do wonder whether we'll see the 17-year-old play under this manager again this season. We can only hope that Byfield's mature cameo has left a lasting impression on the boss, who has fought to see another weekend.