Tottenham starlet Ryan Sessegnon admitted his performances have fallen well below his own standards and revealed how tough it's been to get to grips with life in the Premier League.
The 19-year-old joined Spurs in a £25million move from Fulham back in the summer but found it hard to break into the first team, having suffered an injury setback early on in the season.
Sessegnon made just two brief substitute appearances under Mauricio Pochettino, but has been enjoying an elevated role in the team since Jose Mourinho's appointment back in November.
The left-sided player has made nine appearances in all competitions since Mourinho took over and helped Tottenham book their place in the FA Cup fifth round on Wednesday night as they claimed a 3-2 victory over Southampton.
Sessegnon played a key part in creating Tottenham's opener - an own goal from Jack Stephens - and admitted he is beginning to find his feet.
'It was definitely better,' Sessegnon said after the match.
'It's been coming. Every time I go on the pitch I try to be positive and in recent weeks when I've had the chance it's probably been a bit negative. When I came to Spurs, it was tough at the start but I'm starting to find my feet and the more games I play the more confident I am.
'I set my standards very high. Everyone sees that. Perhaps I am a bit hard on myself but that's the way I am. I set the bar very high. Unless I reach those targets I'm not happy.
'To play under a coach like Mourinho is very tactical. He doesn't like to concede goals, so I'm trying to adjust my game in a defensive way as well. He wants me to be aggressive, so that's what I'm trying to do.
'You have to work on it. Over the years I've worked on trying to better myself, working hard in training, analysing my game and stuff like that. It comes with experience of games and stuff.'
Ahead of the match, Sessegnon lifted the lid on his troubles behind the scenes as he struggled for fitness and form in his first few months at the club.
'It was tough, really tough,' he was quoted as saying in the pre-match programme. 'It was my first serious injury and to come to a big club like this, I was trying to find my feet. I came back in training and then I felt it again, so it was tough. Thankfully I'm now pain-free and enjoying my football.
'Coming to the game quite young, I was used to playing every game without any type injuries. To come to a big club when I'm still young, still developing, still learning, to get an injury like that was mentally and physically tough. Thank God I'm pain-free now and I just want to keep playing games.'
rosdlnst
1
good lad,thanks to Jose for the opportunity and confidence he gave you.
Biuakmru
0
This guy is our future let be patient
JohnMc2018
0
I hope he becomes a top World Class player but even in the Championship he was heavily overrated
puebnopty
15
That is the more reason why player who ve passed through mourinho hands who listen to coach advice excel in their careers. even if u re a top player with all the success in football career there re one or two stuffs a coach ll see as weakness that a player must worked on. when u looked at a player like C Ronaldo he listen to very coach he has worked under him. Ronaldo works hard toward what he wted to achieve at any club n definitely Ronaldo ll continue to be acknowledged as world best player. when mourinho took over man utd when u looked at a player like pogba n martial these re two potential n intelligent players if they fellow a little advice from coaches l don't see the reason why these two intelligent players can't be among the top players rank in the world. but they re lazy n they re not prepared to learned anything.. just their old fixation n backward football
VishnuUnni
4
One part is realisation and the other part is working hard to get better