Heurelho Gomes was on Tottenham Hotspur’s books for six years.
Heurelho Gomes has suggested to The Offside Rule that former Tottenham Hotspur team-mate Luka Modric advised him to leave the club after falling out of favour.
Gomes joined Tottenham in a £7.8 million deal [Telegraph] from PSV Eindhoven in 2008 under Juande Ramos and spent three seasons as the North Londoners’ first-choice goalkeeper.
But the Brazilian fell out of favour during the 2011-12 season, only appearing in the Lilywhites’ League Cup and Europa League campaign as Harry Redknapp preferred Brad Friedel and Carlo Cudicini.
And Gomes has revealed to The Offside Rule that Modric suggested that he leave White Hart Lane in search of first-team chances.
He said: “It was a very tough time for me. It was the first time that I had ever been in that situation but I can say I learned a lot.
“Luka Modric said to me ‘what are you still doing here? You can’t be here for so long you are a great keeper.’
“But I told him my time will come I don’t have to worry, I just have to work and work more.”
Things never did get better at Tottenham for Gomes, who was sent on loan to Hoffenheim in the January of the 2012-13 campaign, before returning and ultimately spending another year on the periphery of things under Andre-Villas Boas.
But the 37-year-old has since proven himself a very decent goalkeeper all over again following a successful few years with Watford in the Premier League, helping the Hornets win promotion from the Championship in 2015.
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