‘Favourite of the fans’: Sky pundit lauds Nuno signing at Tottenham as ‘unsung hero’

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Stephen Warnock has claimed that Tottenham defender, Cristian Romero, is an ‘unsung hero’ at the club, as he told the Football Show on Sky Sports.

The former left-back added that Romero has an ‘exceptional’ understanding of the back three role and is now a ‘firm fan favourite’ with the Tottenham faithful.

Signed for big money during the summer when Nuno Espirito Santo was in charge, Romero has been outstanding this season.

There was a big void left when Toby Alderweireld left in the summer, not forgetting his partner in crime, Jan Vertonghen, departing the season before.

But, with Eric Dier also producing his best football since joining Spurs, both he and Romero are the standouts at the back, as Warnock praised the 23-year-old.

“He’s a player I would love to play with,” said Warnock. “I would love to have him in my team and in the dressing room because he’s so physical in the way he plays.

“He’s exceptional of understanding when to go (drive forward). He has tremendous strength as well in one v one situations. He ends up so often in this position, when I say this position, I mean the front five or three. He is so confident to go into that space that Conte allows him to that he often becomes a centre-forward.

“His recovery runs are outstanding – he is a firm favourite of the fans straightaway. They love his energy and everything that he brings.

“He has been one of the standout players in recent weeks. You look at some of the players in the Spurs team that get the plaudits, he is an unsung hero. Brilliant defender.”

Conte will look towards both Dier and Romero and think that they are now certain starters at the back.

It’s just a case of someone else cementing their place in the back three and the wing-backs producing consistent performances.

Someone like Matt Doherty has stepped up as right-sided wing-back in recent weeks, but it wasn’t so long ago that Spurs fans would have been happy for him to be sold.

Either way, Conte will need the summer to make serious changes because, without Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son, there are serious problems with this Tottenham side.