Danny Rose has claimed that he was ‘harshly treated’ at Tottenham, as he opened up on that exchange with Jose Mourinho on Ben Foster’s Cycling GK channel.
The 31-year-old left Tottenham this summer after his contract in North London expired and he decided to make the short trip to Watford.
It was an eventful final few years for Rose at Spurs, including the left-back being involved in a fiery exchange with then-manager Jose Mourinho about his playing time.
All of which was filmed by Amazon’s All or Nothing Documentary.
But Rose thinks that, from the outside, many felt he ‘shouldn’t be speaking’ to Mourinho in such a manner, but he made it clear that such frank exchanges are the norm in the game.
“People who are in football will understand that’s a normal conversation you have with a manager on a day-to-day basis when you aren’t playing,” said Rose.
“To the outside world, with the feedback I got, it looked like I shouldn’t be speaking like that.
“But for every player not playing, if you are not having these conversations with your manager then you don’t have the motivation to play. That’s just how it was. I felt I was harshly treated.
“So, from day one in pre-season, I had a meeting with Mourinho and Daniel Levy. They said ‘I wasn’t needed anymore’. I said ‘I respect your decision’. And I try to make the best of a very bad situation.”
Given how the former England international rose from the Tottenham ranks as a youngster, it was a shame how things ended for him in North London.
That quite ridiculous goal against Arsenal will live long in the memory of supporters, but so will the manner in which he left the club.
Whatever supporters think of Rose, one thing is for sure, he is someone who wears his heart on his sleeve.
And whilst he was no longer wanted by Tottenham in the end, he now has the chance to showcase his old talents in the colours of newly-promoted Watford next season.
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