Keanan Bennetts says this Tottenham Hotspur man is ruthless.
Quoted by The Hertfordshire Mercury, Keanan Bennetts has hailed Tottenham Hotspur team-mate Erik Lamela and described the winger as “ruthless”.
The former Roma man endured a poor first season at White Hart Lane following a £30 million switch in 2013, with a lack of form and fitness prompting concerns that Spurs had made a rather poor investment.
But the 24-year-old is one of the most improved players at Tottenham since manager Mauricio Pochettino took charge of the club a little over two years ago.
He arrived as something of a flair player but his compatriot has helped him to develop a steel to match his silk in recent seasons, including an increased physicality and improved off-the-ball work.
Lamela remains a divisive figure among Tottenham fans, but he has won over a lot of his early critics in North London, and Bennetts says he exemplifies what Pochettino looks for in his players.
“Since he came in he’s adapted to what the manager wants perfectly and he’s probably the best example of a Mauricio Pochettino player because the way he reacts off the ball is second to none – it’s ruthless, it’s instant,” the 17-year-old said to Spurs’ match-day program, quoted by The Hertfordshire Mercury.
“He’ll go after the opponents and he acts like a defender playing higher up the pitch. Even though he’s an attacker, that’s one of his best attributes. It’s not so much physical, it’s more like as soon as you lose the ball, you switch on straight away in your head and win it back.”
Lamela’s off-the-ball contribution was summed up in the 2-0 win over Manchester City last time out.
He got a bit of stick for missing a second-half penalty, after arguing with Son Heung-min over who should take it, but his high-energy pressing led to both of Tottenham’s goals.
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