La Liga loanee Bryan Gil has indicated that Antonio Conte’s preference for ‘more physical players’ was a factor behind his lack of Premier League opportunities at Tottenham Hotspur, speaking to El Desmarque.
The former Spain U21 international has already played more league minutes since returning to Spain in January than he did in the entire first half of the campaign in North London.
Now, he’s back at his old stomping ground; Sevilla boss Jorge Sampaoli finally getting his mitts on a long-time transfer target. Gil is making quite the impression too as the Andalusian giants look to stave off the very real threat of relegation.
He scored in the 2-0 win over Real Mallorca. And, on Saturday, it was his assist which secured three vital points in the derby clash with UD Almeria.
Tottenham Hotspur’s Bryan Gil impressing at Sevilla
It remains to be seen whether Gil still has a future at his parent club. The departure of Antonio Conte, out of contract in July, may be the break he needs.
“I wanted to try myself in the Premier League,” Gil says. “And although Conte likes more physical players, I learned a lot from him.”
Gil started just two league games under Conte. That January switch to Sevilla was the second time during the Italian’s tenure that the one-time Eibar talisman was farmed out on loan too. He spent the second half of 2021/22 at Valencia.
By Gil’s own admission, he could have stayed at the Mestalla too.
“In the summer I was close to going to Valencia,” the 22-year-old adds. “It was all very fast. I told my representative that, until I signed, I was not going to believe it. In the summer it was, I don’t know, the radical change in 24 hours. From a ‘yes’ to a ‘no’.”
Sevilla may look to sign Gil on a permanent basis if he maintains his current form. The so-called ‘Beatle of Barbate’, however, has no idea yet what waits for him at the end of the ‘Long and Winding Road’.
“(Sevilla) has given me everything,” Gil adds. “Our heads are too busy with the situation (fighting relegation) to think about summer.”
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