Ange Postecoglou is delighted to have the likes of Guglielmo Vicario and James Maddison back in the side, and the Tottenham head coach made a confession about why the goalkeeper was such a big miss for his side when he was out of action.
Guglielmo Vicario inspires Tottenham clean sheet
Spurs fans would have been delighted when they saw Vicario and Maddison’s names on the teamsheet against the Red Devils on Saturday, with the goalkeeper coming back from a three-month injury layoff.
Both players made decisive contributions on the pitch, with the attacking midfielder delivering a midfield masterclass and scoring the game’s solitary goal while the Italian produced several important stops to help his side emerge with a clean sheet.
Postecoglou will hope to have other senior stars return over the next few weeks, but he admits that he is particularly delighted to have his number one back.
Ange Postecoglou explains what Vicario brings to the side
Vicario did not just make some crucial stops against Man Utd, but the goalkeeper was also seen constantly shouting instructions at the Tottenham backline and was proactive in organising his side when they defended set-pieces.
Postecoglou confessed that having the 28-year-old shot-stopper back is invaluable to his side, given the presence that he has in the dressing room and the experience he brings to this young team.
When asked about having Maddison and Vicario back, the Tottenham head coach told Football.London: “Yes, it is massive. Both of them, particularly Vic, it is not just that Vic is an outstanding goalkeeper but in training, he is such a presence among the boys.
“He gets everyone going and it has been tough without him because we’ve used three other goalkeepers. They’ve all contributed but none of them have let us down.
“It’s just that Vic is experienced and has a strong personality. Madders is the same. He has enormous self-belief and that filters through the team. The energy and experience they bring to training will certainly make a difference for us.”
Vicario opens up on the emotion of being back
The former Empoli man might have played his first game in over three months on Sunday, but it felt like he was never out of the side as he seamlessly slotted back into the team.
After helping Tottenham to a much-needed win – their first in the Premier League at home since November – the goalkeeper took to social media to open up on how much he missed being out there on the pitch and the feeling of helping his side win.