Pau Lopez says playing for Tottenham is a dream come true, hails Pochettino influence

Follow us on Google Discover

The 21-year-old reunited with his former Espanyol coach at White Hart Lane this summer.

Tottenham Hotspur summer signing Pau Lopez has told the club’s official website that it is a “dream come true” to play for a club like Spurs, but insisted that he must still earn the trust of Mauricio Pochettino.

Goalkeeper Lopez joined Spurs from Espanyol on a season-long loan this summer to provide cover and competition for Hugo Lloris and Michel Vorm.

The 21-year-old was in the Spanish side’s youth system during the four years that Pochettino was in charge in Barcelona, and although he never played under the Argentine boss for the first team, he considers the Spurs manager a true mentor.

Lopez admitted that the move to White Hart Lane, which he described as “a dream come true”, was only possible because of Pochettino’s presence, but insisted that he must still earn the trust of his manager.

The goalkeeper told Spurs’ official website: “Mauricio made everything possible, if he wasn’t here, I wouldn’t have the opportunity to play here. He trusted me when I was a youth player at Espanyol. I’m very grateful to him, now I have to do everything here to earn his trust.

“Mauricio and his staff demand a lot of you at the training sessions and those sessions are really hard, but at the end when you work hard you get to the games better than your rivals.

“To play for a team like Spurs is a dream come true. I’ve dreamed of playing in England since I was a kid, but I couldn’t imagine I could play with a team like Spurs. It’s a great opportunity. I hope to learn a lot, improve a lot as a goalkeeper and adapt to life on and off the pitch. I’m very excited and I hope the fans are also happy I’m here.”

It is unclear just how big a role Lopez will play for Spurs this season. He is unlikely to dislodge club captain and number one Lloris, and will be fighting with Vorm to be the first-choice deputy.

Spurs are competing on two fronts, with their return to the Champions League this season, and Pochettino will likely look to rotate his options as often as possible.