Ryan Sessegnon has admitted he decided to work with a sports psychologist to help overcome some of the doubts he was having last year.
Following his successful loan spell at Hoffenheim last season, Sessegnon would have been hoping to have a breakthrough year on his return to Spurs.
However, injury issues have once again prevented the England Under-21 international from having a run of matches in the starting eleven.
Sessegnon has opened up on how the injuries he was having took a toll on his self-belief, adding that he saw a psychologist when he was in Germany to help him think more positively.
The 21-year-old told ESPN: “I first started speaking to someone when I went to Germany because there was a little spell where… at the start, it started well and then there was a little problem injury-wise.
“And I started thinking too much about my game. I wasn’t feeling free. I wasn’t doing things that I was doing before, so I started speaking to someone about the mental side of the game and how doubts can creep into your mind, distract you and put you down.
“So it was more about bringing self-belief and positivity into your thoughts.”
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Just when it seemed as though Sessegnon had established himself as Antonio Conte’s first choice in the left wing-back role, the defender suffered a hamstring injury at the start of March that put him out of action for a month (Transfermarkt).
The former Fulham man is now back in training but he admitted that he is having to be a little more careful in managing his workload in order to avoid frequent muscular injuries.
He said: “Definitely it is something that I have to manage because I am at a stage where… coming through when I was a bit younger at Fulham, I had no injuries.
“And then I’m at Spurs now and I’ve had a few problems but as I’m getting older, I need to start managing the intensity of training, the way I train.
“Obviously, under Conte, the training is intense anyway but it is about being a bit more mature and smart in certain sessions here and there, not going 100% — that’s just my nature and the way I play.
“It is just knowing your body, being smart and trying to be available every game. So going forward I’m trying to learn these things.”
Spurs Web Opinion
Sessegnon has been extremely unlucky with the timing of his injuries since he arrived at Spurs. The 21-year-old always seems to pick up these problems just when he seems like making progress. Hopefully, the youngster can stay fit and have a strong end to the season.
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