‘A player who sacrifices himself’ – Mourinho praises Spurs’ £23million man

Jose Mourinho has lavished praise on Lucas Moura and insisted that he is lucky to have selfless players like the Brazilian in his squad.

It became clear soon after Mourinho arrived at Tottenham that the Portuguese coach had an affinity for Moura.

The Brazilian who was often left on the bench by Mauricio Pochettino including during the Champion League final despite his heroics against Ajax, became a regular feature in the side under the 57-year-old.

The former PSG man who arrived in 2018 for £23million (BBC) has been used by the Spurs head coach in a number of positions in the final third, including the lone striker role when the team suffered an injury crisis prior to the lockdown with Harry Kane and Heung-min Son both sidelined.

Moura’s form towards the end of the season was particularly impressive, with the winger showing an impressive desire to track back to win the ball back and begin counter-attacks.

The 27-year-old recently admitted that he is enjoying playing under and learning from Mourinho (ESPN Brasil).

The Tottenham boss has now opened up on his admiration for the pacy wide man.

Speaking to the club’s official website, Mourinho said: “He (Lucas) did everything for us during the season. He played in every position.

“He played as a striker when we had no strikers. He had no rest, he had to play every match in every competition.

“It’s really amazing and shows the team player that he is – a team player, a consistent player, a player who sacrifices himself for the needs of the team.

“We have more, and I’m a fortunate coach, but Lucas is a good example.”

Spurs Web Opinion

Throughout his managerial career, Jose has always valued players who are prepared to sacrifice themselves for the team. In a way, Moura’s goals and assists figures do not represent what he brings to the Spurs side under Mourinho.

The Brazilian has a fantastic knack of making the opposition full-back drop their guard and pinching the ball back with a burst of acceleration. Seeing as Jose seems to be drilling us to capitalise on transitions, I see Moura being a key part of our attack.

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