The Tottenham Hotspur ace put the Newcastle United defender out of action for a couple of months after a poorly-timed challenge.
Magpies ace Florian Lejeune sat down for an exclusive interview with the Shields Gazette and delivered his verdict on his time in the Premier League thus far, highlighting how difficult it has been for him to adapt to the physicality of the English game.
The Frenchman joined Newcastle from Eibar in the summer, for a fee believed to be in the region of £8.7 million, and has gone on to make four Premier League appearances for Rafa Benitez’s side.
The 26-year-old made his debut for the Toon against Tottenham Hotspur back in August, but did not play again until October, following a robust challenge from Harry Kane.
And Lejeune did not hold back in his assessment of the 24-year-old’s tackle, when speaking to the Shields Gazette, labelling it a ‘silly challenge’:
“It’s physical, for sure, but sometimes players do silly things too. It’s physical, for sure, but sometimes players do silly things too. And I think it was a silly tackle by the player. I didn’t understand it. I never received any apology for the tackle. Regardless of the team or player, it’s important to punish such tackles. And then you see a similar tackle a week later and it’s punished by a red. But that is football. Do you need to wait until a player breaks a leg to do something about it?”
Click HERE to read Karren Brady’s no-nonsense verdict on Rafa Benitez and Mike Ashley
Benitez’s side have impressed on the whole this term, and the Spaniard will be hoping that the centre-back can start to prove his worth, after getting a consistent run of games under his belt.
Lejeune certainly has the physique and quality to succeed in England, and once he becomes accustomed to the physicality of the Premier League, there is no reason why he won’t go on to look like a snip for £8.7 million.
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