Martin Keown suggests Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino’s use of Moussa Sissoko has impressed him

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Moussa Sissoko looks to be a completely different player for Tottenham Hotspur this season, and Martin Keown is in no doubt as to why that is.

Martin Keown has told the Daily Mail that the part that Mauricio Pochettino has played in turning Moussa Sissoko’s Tottenham career around has particularly impressed him.

Sissoko endured a fairly miserable first season with Spurs following his £30 million move from Newcastle in 2016, and there appeared to be little desire amongst the Tottenham supporters to see the Frenchman remain at the club beyond the summer.

However, the midfielder has enjoyed a significant and quite surprising upturn in form this season, and confirmation that his turnaround was complete arguably came in the Bernabeu in midweek as he played extremely well to help Spurs secure an impressive 1-1 draw in their Champions League clash with Real Madrid.

And Keown suggested that Pochettino’s ability to get the best out of the players who had previously been written off is particularly impressive, especially when those moments come on a stage as big as a Champions League game in the Bernabeu.

“What has really impressed me about Mauricio Pochettino is how he is using players like Moussa Sissoko — someone we all thought he had given up on. Pochettino used Sissoko’s pace and energy to good effect against Real Madrid,” he told the Mail.

That success with Sissoko should arguably give Tottenham plenty to be optimistic about heading into transfer windows while Pochettino remains in charge, because if he claims to see something in a player who has previously been struggling, he can point to what he has done with Sissoko as proof that he can bring the best out of most.