Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario has opened up on his problems defending set pieces
Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario has admitted that it has taken him some time to get accustomed to the rigours of Premier League football.
The Italian arrived at Tottenham for an initial £17.2m fee from Empoli last summer as a replacement for Hugo Lloris. He signed a contract with the north London club until 2028, thereby ending an impressive two-year spell with Empoli.
The 27-year-old seamlessly fitted into Ange Postecoglou’s aggressive and pressing system at Spurs. He was a crucial cog in Spurs building play from the back and was nominated for the Premier League’s Save of the Month most of the months of the past campaign. The gloveman’s impressive form in the Premier League earned him a place in Italy’s squad at the Euros 2024, although he did not manage to get any game time in Germany.
However, it was not always smooth sailing for Guglielmo Vicario with several teams targeting him during set-pieces. After a strong debut season in north London, the Italy international has now confessed that he required some time to adapt to the demands of the speed and physicality of the Premier League after making his switch from Serie A.
“There are some situations you have to face where maybe it takes a bit more time for you to adapt. I can say the set pieces, maybe also the strength of the players and the speed of some of the attacking play,” Vicario told Football London.
“Of course, it is all about the process. So you have to remain confident in yourself, have to believe in your process, just that of course, and then you have to train a lot, you have to train hard and then get better and better.
“You have to give yourself that time to adapt. You know, life is like this. Sometimes you want to learn something new and you have to give time to yourself to adapt.”
Vicario became an instant hit within the Spurs faithful with his command in the box, shot-stopping, passion and leadership skills. Given the number of big chances the north London side were conceding, thanks to their high defensive line, they were being saved and kept in the game by the Italian in goal.
The 27-year-old was subjected to many incidents when rival teams started targeting him from set pieces, and after a year of adaptation, he looks ready to thwart the challenges that could come in his second season at Spurs.
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He will develop and grow further under Postecoglou and his coaching staff. At 27, Vicario is relatively young for a goalkeeper and still years away from hitting his prime when one considers the lifespan of goalkeepers in the game. He does need to work on a couple of weak areas of his game but the potential is there for everyone to see.