Spurs midfielder claims Mourinho criticism ‘didn’t hurt’ him

Joe Williams
Tanguy Ndombele Jose Mourinho Tottenham

Tanguy Ndombele claims that Spurs boss Jose Mourinho’s criticism “didn’t hurt” him and says there’s “more to come” from him this season.

Ndombele arrived at Tottenham last summer for a club record fee but the Frenchman struggled in his first season in the Premier League.

The 23-year-old made just 12 Premier League starts in 2019-20, with only five of those coming after Mourinho became the new Spurs manager.


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There have been rumours of a rift between Ndombele and Mourinho after the Portuguese boss called out the midfielder over his performances last term.

However, Ndombele has now revealed how he was unaffected by Mourinho’s criticism, he told Sky Sports: “His words didn’t hurt me. They didn’t necessarily motivate me either.

“It was just something that I assimilated and took on board. Of course, it’s not something that you like to hear, those sort of words, but that was last season and we are looking to the future.”

Ndombele has featured in all six of Tottenham’s Premier League fixtures so far this term with four of those coming from the start.

And the France international is keen to show Tottenham fans that “there’s still more to come” from him.

“I don’t think we have seen the best of Tanguy Ndombele yet. I’m on the right track but there’s still more to come,” Ndombele said.

“I feel better. That comes from playing consecutive matches. It’s good for a player to have a good rhythm like that and get into shape.

“Last year I didn’t have that so much. This year I do so it’s better for the team and it’s better for me.

“Between France and England, there’s a real difference in the intensity of the matches. Last season my head just wasn’t in the right place. This season it’s going a lot better.”

 

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