Tottenham Hotspur youngster wants to emulate first team star.
Tottenham Hotspur youngster Zenon Stylianides has set himself the lofty ambition of emulating first team star Mousa Dembele.
Quoted by the Hertfordshire Mercury via Tottenham’s matchday programme, Stylianides says he is trying to model his game on the Belgian maestro.
Tottenham Hotspur’s Zenon Stylianides in action against Manchester United
Dembele is a key part of Tottenham first team, winning a penalty in the recent North London derby, and the club are unbeaten in the last 30 matches in which he has played.
Tottenham’s Mousa Dembele in action with Sunderland’s Didier Ndong
Stylianides is just 18, and is a regular in the Tottenham under-23 team. This season he has featured also for the under-19s in the UEFA Youth League.
Like Dembele he is a central midfield player with skill and trickery, while his versatility is also an asset. This season for the under-23s he has also featured once at left-back, and on the wing.
He said: “His [Dembele’s] physical power. Hopefully that will come in time because it would help me so much.
“Watching him, the way he keeps the ball is brilliant and he always had it under control.
“Defensively he can run back to help out and attacking-wise he’s able to dribble past players like they’re not there. I’d like to think I can take on players like that.”
Tottenham’s Zenon Stylianides in action
Stylianides says he has trained with Dembele when called up to join the first team squad, and studies the midfielder closely.
He has a long way to go to establish himself in a very competitive Tottenham midfield, but he is modelling his game on the right player if he wants to get to the top.
Already he has identified Dembele’s physical strength as one of his biggest assets, and if he can add that to his own game, then he will be well prepared for the rigours and demands of Premier League competition when the time comes.
Tottenham Hotspur’s Zenon Stylianides in action with Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford
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