The 24-year-old has developed into a key player for Tottenham Hotspur.
Speaking to the Hertfordshire Mercury, Tottenham Hotspur defender Jan Vertonghen has hailed the “unbelievable” Erik Lamela and reiterated his importance to the cause following a tough start to life in North London.
The 24-year-old winger, a £30 million signing in 2013 (reported by ESPN), struggled with form and fitness in his first couple of seasons with Spurs, but seemed to come on leaps and bounds last term.
The Argentine scored 11 times and set up 10 goals in all competitions last season, but his general level of performance seemed much higher, with manager Mauricio Pochettino helping him to develop a steel to match the silk.
As a result, the former Roma ace has since won over a lot of his critics within the Lilywhites’ fanbase, and the Belgian centre-back reflects on how frustrated his South American counterpart was during his early days at White Hart Lane.
“He was new and he had to adapt to the Premier League. I remember in the first season when he came I had a couple of injuries and I was together with him,” said Vertonghen to The Hertfordshire Mercury.
“He wanted it so badly and he wanted to play so much that he pushed himself and he might have pushed himself too much.
“He’s been fully fit for two years now and he’s shows us how important he is. If he doesn’t play we feel it and he’s a great addition for us. Lamela is an unbelievable player. If he doesn’t score goals he gives assists and he works so hard for the team.”
Pochettino has a big decision to make tomorrow. He left out Lamela in the 4-0 win over Stoke on Saturday, in which his replacement Son Heung-min scored twice.
With Monaco coming to town in the Champions League on Wednesday, Pochettino must decide whether to keep faith with Son or recall the industrious Lamela.
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