The Spurs ace endured a difficult season last time out but his comments suggest he wants to stay and fight at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Victor Wanyama may appear to have an uncertain future at the North London club but he has spoken highly of Mauricio Pochettino and admits he has made it his “personal challenge” to impress next season, in conversation with Goal.com.
The 27-year-old joined Spurs from Southampton in the summer of 2016 for a fee in the region of £11million, according to BBC Sport, and he has gone on to make 93 appearances in all competitions for Pochettino’s side.
Last season, however, Wanyama struggled with knee problems, including an injury that saw him miss a chunk of the mid-point of the campaign, and ended up making 22 appearances, including just four Premier League starts, according to Transfermarkt.
Rumours surfaced last year that Spurs will be looking to sell Wanyama this summer for around £25million, according to the Daily Mail, and with Tanguy Ndombele reportedly being in talks with the Lilywhites, the Kenya international would likely drop even further down the pecking order.
Despite all this, Wanyama could not speak more highly of his boss, telling Goal.com: “Pochettino is a great coach who works very hard in every training (session). “He has a constant desire to succeed and win all matches, which is reflected in the players through his help.
“He has his own way of dealing with each player, advising us on and off the pitch continuously and taking care of everyone to get even more out of every player on the pitch. I always look forward to working with him and taking advantage of his advice to develop and perform in the stadium in the best way possible.”
On the subject of how he feels he has done personally over the past year, the midfielder gave a bluntly honest opinion, saying: “For me it was a difficult season and I was tired for a long time because of injury. I was hoping to help the team more but it did not work out well.
“The African Championship is a good opportunity to regain my level and prepare my fitness fully before the holiday and then prepare for the new season, which will be a new personal challenge.”
Despite his future being uncertain, such positive talk from Wanyama regarding both his manager and his own assessment of himself seem to suggest he is not simply prepared to up sticks and leave, rather he wants to stay at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and fight for his place.
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