Former Tottenham Hotspur star gives club’s new arrivals advice on how to succeed
Speaking on N17 Live on Youtube (h/t football.london), former Tottenham Hotspur player Micky Hazard had some piece of advice for Spurs’ January signings Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur.
The duo were brought in last month in the winter transfer window, with Tottenham raiding Juventus to complete a double signing before the January deadline passed. The duo made their debuts for the club in the FA Cup fixture against Brighton, contributing to a 3-1 win.
Before the tie however, former Spurs midfielder Hazard had some pearls of wisdom to share with the newbies, having won an FA Cup with the club himself.
“Play with the freedom that got you here. Don’t come here and freeze. I say to these young boys, come in, enjoy every second because when you’re playing well on this pitch, in front of these fans, they absolutely worship you.”
The Spurs debutants seemed to have taken Hazard’s words to heart, playing admirably as they took to the pitch in the second half for a late cameo off the bench, getting a taste of the English game.
Demanding fans
Kulusevski and Bentancur came on to a raucous home crowd for their FA Cup bows, who turned up in numbers to support their team as they seek to get their hands on the domestic trophy at the end of the season. If first impressions are anything to go by, there is much to come from the Swedish winger.
Hazard spoke about the Spurs fans, saying that the supporters were very demanding of their club’s players, expecting them to be performing at their best and contribute to the club’s success.
“They’re playing in front of a very demanding crowd who want success and some players, they can tie you up in knots and other players will rise to the challenge.”
Having been roped in by Spurs to help manager Antonio Conte lead the team to glory, both Kulusevski and Bentancur will be aware of the responsibility they have at the club. Despite their young ages, the duo have racked up multiple appearances for Juventus in past years, and this experience is likely to help them adapt to their new club.
The former Juve pair are quality midfielders, giving Spurs a different edge on the pitch. Conte will be pleased about the club’s business dealings in the winter transfer window, and is sure to deploy the players often to help the side out in their games.
More Tottenham Hotspur News
- Graham Potter hands Tottenham Hotspur a transfer boost in Yves Bissouma pursuit
- Tottenham Hotspur stars Tanguy Ndombele, Giovani Lo Celso, and Bryan Gil were in action for the first time since leaving the club in January
- Tottenham Hotspur newbie Dejan Kulusevski issues verdict on forward Harry Kane
Hazard had offered advice to the players about not ‘freezing’ on the pitch, and this certainly wasn’t the case on Sunday as the Spurs newbies made a positive impact on the pitch. In fact, Kulusevski nearly picked up an assist on his debut as Steven Bergwijn blazed an effort over the bar after the Swede had played him in.
Conte has a knack for building up his players and taking them to the next level, and the same can be expected with Spurs’ January signings. The coming months should hopefully see the new pair win over the crowd quickly and turn them into fan favourites.
