Ex-Tottenham ace admits he felt ‘pushed aside’ after departing club last season

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Former Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Hugo Lloris has opened up about his true feelings after leaving the North London club.

Hugo Lloris ended his 11-year association with Tottenham Hotspur in December when he moved to MLS club LAFC with his final Premier League appearance coming in the embarrassing 6-1 defeat for Spurs against Newcastle United.

Under Ange Postecoglou, the Australian decided to pursue a new first team signing for the goalkeeping position and eventually settled on Guglielmo Vicario and the Italian had a brilliant debut season in North London.

Halfway through Postecoglou’s first season at Spurs, Lloris departed the club for a move to America and the Frenchman has opened up about his departure from North London.

Lloris on Spurs exit

Speaking to Le Parisien, the Frenchman was honest about why his time in England came to an end. “I started again too soon, too hard. I was exhausted and only had four days to recharge,” he said.

“I was having trouble reconnecting, getting back into my routine, finding motivation. The World Cup came too soon after the championship break, and the championship resumed too soon after the World Cup.

“It was a combination of several factors: the team was lacking results and the coach, under pressure, was losing patience. Therefore, the group dynamic was negative.

“Tottenham were coming to the end of a cycle, and so was I. I knew that Tottenham wanted to recruit younger players, especially in my position. Summer was approaching and I was no longer part of the plans.

“When the championship resumed, in August 2023, the coach informed me that I would no longer enter the field, that I would only be a training player. I was pushed aside, I had become transparent.”

Spurs made the right decision

Postecoglou’s first season at Tottenham was a success with the Australian guiding the club to a Europa League finish but things could have been better after a brilliant first half of the season.

A new goalkeeper for Spurs was key for their rebuild and Vicario has proven himself to be one of the best goalkeepers in the division, with his outstanding distribution and high claims making him an upgrade on Lloris.

The way in which Spurs handled Lloris’ departure was certainly not the best, considering the years of service the Frenchman provided, but acquiring a new goalkeeper was vital for the club to move forward.