Carlos Vinicius has admitted that he is honoured to work with a coach like Jose Mourinho, who is highly regarded in the game.
Vinicius has not had as much game time as he would have wanted this season but the Brazilian has delivered the goods when he has had opportunities, having netted 10 goals so far in all competitions.
He scored his first Premier League goal in Tottenham’s 2-0 win at Villa Park on Sunday in what was just his second league start of the season.
Despite being used sparingly by Mourinho, the striker only had positive things to say about the Tottenham boss, insisting that he cares about the players’ welfare.
When asked to compare Jorge Jesus and Mourinho, Vinicius told Globo Esporte (as translated by Sport Witness): “Each has their qualities, they are great coaches. It was an honour to have had the opportunity to work with these two.
“My time with Jorge Jesus was very little. We did a pre-season and two games. But soon you understand that Jorge Jesus wasn’t a champion as he was in Brazil for nothing. On the other hand, I have Mourinho who was champion of everything, and he did what he did for football. It’s not for me to say who is the best.
“He knows how to deal with the locker room, knows what the player likes, knows how to take us. And, if the locker room has a good environment, if we are happy, things will flow on the pitch. And he knows that this is important. Mourinho is always chatting, he asks every day how we are doing, how our family is doing. He cares.”
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Vinicius has evidently developed a close relationship with his compatriot Lucas Moura since arriving at Spurs, with the pair’s celebration after the striker’s opener on Sunday demonstrating their bond.
Vinicius admitted that the former Paris Saint-Germain winger has gone out of his way to help him settle into his new surroundings.
He said: “Lucas Moura was a gift from God in my life. There are people who joke that where Lucas is, I am too (laughs).
“When I arrived in London, I stayed at the club hotel for the first three days and then Lucas invited us to stay at his house. We stayed there until I got my house ready.
“He and his wife treated us very well. He’s my translator, teacher, friend, everything. Around here, he’s the one who rescues me.”
Vinicius also brushed aside concerns about his lack of game time this season, admitting that he has been able to learn a lot by training and working with a striker of Harry Kane’s calibre.
The on-loan Benfica man added: “Kane is a great striker, a great person. He’s always around. And I try to analyse what he does in training, in games, the way he positions himself.
“I’m there near one of the three greatest strikers in the world. And, if it’s to play five minutes, I will enjoy those five minutes. If I play 90 minutes, I will enjoy it as well.
“Because I can’t be in the biggest league in the world, be in one of the biggest clubs in the world, and be sad because I didn’t play.”
Spurs Web Opinion
Vinicius’ attitude through the season so far, has been commendable. The Brazilian works his socks off irrespective of whether he starts or comes on with a few minutes left on the clock. As Lloris was alluding to in his passionate interview after the Zagreb defeat, we as a club will be in a much better place if some other squad players like Winks had a similar attitude.
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