Emile Heskey has admitted that rumoured Tottenham Hotspur target Jannik Vestergaard has shown plenty of promise recently after getting used to the demands of English football.
Vestergaard has been one of Southampton’s most consistent performers this season and Ralph Hasenhuttl’s men have missed the presence of the towering centre-back when he has been out injured.
The Daily Mirror reported earlier this month that Spurs are exploring the possibility of signing the Dane, who is about to enter the final year of his contract at St Mary’s.
When asked if the Southampton defender can galvanise the Tottenham backline like Van Dijk has done at Liverpool, Heskey insisted that it is not fair to compare the Dane to the Dutchman.
The former Reds striker told HITC: “I’m not saying Vestergaard cannot have a similar impact (to Van Dijk) but can he be the same player? Probably not.
“I spoke with (former Foxes team-mate) Neil Lennon when Van Dijk was at Celtic and he honestly said to me that he couldn’t believe no one came in for him earlier.
“Every season he was saying; ‘I’m praying no one comes in for him’. He was that far ahead of everyone else. He was head and shoulders above everyone.”
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Some Spurs fans have not reacted favourably to the rumours linking the club with Vestergaard, with many on social media insisting that the club should be looking to bring in a central defender with more quality.
However, Heskey believes that the Southampton man has shown since settling into the Premier League that he can be a top defender.
He added: “When you come in to the Premier League, not every player can be great (straight away).
“It takes them time to get to where they want to get to, to understand the league. But after being in the league for one or two years, you start seeing the best of them. Now, you’re starting to see the best of Vestergaard.”
Spurs Web Opinion
Vestergaard would certainly be an upgrade over the centre-backs we have at the club and could potentially be a good bargain signing. I would be happy with the Southampton man if he is one of two centre-backs we sign in the summer.
However, I would be disappointed if the Saints star is the only central defender we bring in as he is certainly not a Van Dijk-type of signing who is going to solve our issues at the back.
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