The Argentine struggled to make an impact from Roma in his first season, but he’s now one of Mauricio Pochettino’s most consistent performers.
Tottenham’s Erik Lamela celebrates scoring their fifth goal against Gillingham
Tottenham Hotspur winger Erik Lamela has admitted he found life at the club to be incredibly tough, but now he’s starting to call White Hart Lane home in an interview with the club’s official website.
The Argentina international made the move from Roma in the summer of 2013 for a fee of around £30m, but he couldn’t deal with the weight and expectation in North London having arrived on the back of scoring 17 goals in Serie A.
A back injury restricted Lamela to just 16 appearances that season, but under Mauricio Pochettino, the 24-year-old has grown into one of Spurs’ most consistent and hard-working players.
Initially struggling for consistency and finding himself in and out of the team, last season was where it all started to click for Lamela, hitting 11 goals in all competitions and laying on nine assists in the Premier League as his energy and work rate made him an integral part of Pochettino’s high-press system.
Having won over the doubters at Tottenham to be one of Pochettino’s most celebrated success stories, Lamela, currently on international duty with Argentina for the World Cup qualifiers is now starting to enjoy life in London a lot more.
“At the beginning it was very tough, arriving in England, another style of football, another country, another language,” he said.
“I was injured for a long time as well. That was difficult. I played for three months but then I was injured for seven months.
“That’s football, you need to be strong and keep training. I feel well now. I feel good at the training ground and after training, I go home and it feels like home.
“That’s important. I’m always focused. I’m happy and that helps on the pitch.”
Lamela already has six assists so far this season, including three in the 5-0 thrashing over Gillingham in the League Cup in which he scored and he’s finally starting to justify his heavy price tag.
The only issue is his tendency to give away fouls on a regular basis, but such is his commitment and desire to win the ball back as soon as possible, Lamela’s energy is regularly appreciated at White Hart Lane and by his team mates, who he says come first before his own form and personal glory.
“I try to do my best every game and if I can’t always play well, I try to run and run and always help the team,” he continued.
“We always need to show that we want to win. I always look for the team first. If the team wins, I’m happy. If I play well but we don’t get three points, my feeling isn’t good.
“The most important thing is always to win.”
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