Danny Murphy praised Steven Bergwijn on BBC One as Tottenham Hotspur lost in the FA Cup to Middlesbrough after the Dutchman enthralled with a piece of skill at the Riverside.
Antonio Conte gave Bergwijn a late cameo in the North East as he bid to guide Spurs into the quarter-final. But a late extra-time strike from Josh Coburn saw Chris Wilder’s second-tier side eliminate the north Londoners. They had already beaten Manchester United, too.
Tottenham have now exited the FA Cup in the fifth-round in each of the last three seasons. They also bowed out of the competition in the fourth-round in 2018/19 after reaching the semi-final the prior term. Spurs have not reached the final since lifting the cup in 1990/91.
Conte introduced Bergwijn from the Tottenham bench after 81-minutes in search of the breakthrough goal away to Middlesbrough. The 24-year-old winger entered the action for Ryan Sessegnon to make his 21st appearance of the season across all competitions.
Bergwijn has only started eight of his outings so far this campaign, with four in the Premier League. He has also only featured for 49-minutes over five games since last starting a top-flight fixture on January 23. Additionally, he failed to open any of Spurs’ three FA Cup ties.
Murphy hails ‘brilliant’ Bergwijn for skill in Tottenham FA Cup exit
Bergwijn’s lack of action under Conte which continued at Middlesbrough has put his future at Tottenham in doubt. Calciomercato report Spurs are ready to listen to bids in the region of €18m-20m (£15m-£17m) this summer. They demanded €25m (£21m) to sell in January.
AC Milan are interested in Bergwijn and continue to monitor his situation in north London. So, playing nine-minutes of regular time at the Riverside will likely have caught their eye as San Siro chiefs consider launching an official swoop for the winger at the end of the season.
Bergwijn’s brief efforts against Middlesbrough may have also caught Milan’s attention after dazzling Murphy for Tottenham in the closing stages. Yet even after impressing the former Spurs midfielder, Murphy noted an error that ultimately proved costly for Bergwijn.
“Brilliant run from Steven Bergwijn,” Murphy said. “Nice skill, nice touch, but what a tackle from Paddy McNair just when they needed it. He just gave him the opportunity because he tried to take it on his right foot rather than his left.”
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