Dejan Kulusevski makes early admission on Tottenham future and reveals Antonio Conte's message
Emma de Duve
20 hrs ago
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I would say what a season Dejan Kulusevski has had, but it's mad to think that the 22-year-old hasn't even been at Tottenham for a full season. The Swedish international made the move to N17 in January and has exceeded expectations, making an immediate impact on
Antonino Conte's side.
© Photo by James Williamson - AMA/Getty Images Dejan Kulusevski has already scored five goals and registered eight assists in just a few months at Tottenham.
Kulusevski has pushed the likes of Lucas Moura and Steven Bergwijn down the pecking order, meaning less game time for them and has formed a dangerous trio with
Harry Kane's and Son Heung-min. It is normal for foreign players to take a good chunk of time to settle into life in London and playing in the Premier League.
However, the Swede hasn't needed that and has had a warm welcome from Tottenham fans and clearly has a good relationship with Conte. His impact was yet again seen in the final game of the season, as the winger scored two goals for the Lilywhites, in their
5-0 victory against Norwich on Sunday.
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Kulusevski's statistics alone highlight the impact he has had on his new side. The 22-year-old scored five goals and registered eight assists in just 18 Premier League appearances.
This meant that the Swede contributed to more goals than Bernardo Silva (12), Alexandre Lacazette (11) and Kai Havertz (11), despite only making his debut in February. The winger made the move to north London at the same time as his former Juventus teammate,
Rodrigo Bentancur.
The Uruguayan international has also had a positive influence on the Spurs side since January, creating a solid midfield partnership alongside
Pierre Emile Hojbjerg. Kulusevski scored Tottenham's opening goal against Norwich, which was assisted by the 24-year-old and the Swede's admission highlights their on-field relationship.
"I know Rodrigo, he always passes, so I was waiting for the pass, but it didn't happen. In the last second he really passed and I was like 'okay, I have to just touch the ball' and it went in. I was so happy because it was so important for the team, to take the pressure out of us," the winger admitted, in his post-match interview with
Spurs TV.
The Lilywhites needed just a point from their trip to Carrow Road, to secure a spot in the top four and Kulusevski revealed what Conte had said to the Tottenham side, ahead of the fixture. "He said we have a fantastic opportunity and we just go and we have to enjoy the moment, like we did these last games," he explained.
"It was some games that we were afraid to play, but you can't be afraid to play, you have to go out and enjoy and then what will happen will happen." Kulusevski went on to explain that he wants to "stay here for some time" and spoke about his time at Spurs so far.
"I really love staying here. It's been going good, I've been feeling really good in the pitch and I enjoy my football a lot but I will rest now for some days and then I want to come back much, much better next year, because I think this team can go much better and we have a fantastic coach. I'm looking forward to the future with this club," he admitted.
This will be pleasing for all Tottenham fans to hear and Kulusevski explained that he will have a few days off but then be ready to start work again. "Summer is when you can work," he admitted.
"You have time to work and get better and we're going to put in the work, that's for sure. We have a very good team and a very good coach, very good players.
"I think we can improve as a team, as we did these last games of the season. I think the last 15 games, we did really good, we played a lot and scored a lot. There's no ceiling for us now," the 22-year-old added when speaking about playing in the Champions League next season.
If Kulusevski can make the impact he has in just a few months and now have the whole summer to work hard and continue to work with Conte and his staff, it is scary to think how good he could become when he has had a whole season at
Tottenham.