Tottenham Hotspur’s Kevin Danso might be a centre-back by trade, but if given the chance, he reckons he could do a job up front.
It has been well over two weeks since Tottenham Hotspur last kicked a ball, and for Kevin Danso, the wait has been even longer.
The Austrian defender has been sidelined with a hamstring injury, meaning he has not featured for Spurs in close to a month.
He missed out on international duty, and Danso was nowhere to be seen in Tottenham’s recent training footage. However, he made an appearance at the UK’s baller league yesterday— of course, not as a player, but as a guest.
Kevin Danso backs himself as a Tottenham striker
While watching the cage football event, Kevin Danso was asked on Sky Sports how he would fare in a small-sided game.
The defender, who is usually tasked with stopping goals rather than scoring them, had no doubts about what his role would be.
Interviewer: “Would you enjoy playing this style of football?”
Danso: “100 per cent, but I think I would play up front, I would be a target man… I’d score some goals.”
The centre-back, who has played seven games for Spurs this season, is expected to return to full fitness after the international break, according to Ange Postecoglou.
Does Danso have a striker’s touch?
The Austrian might fancy himself as a makeshift striker, but the stats paint a different picture. Throughout his professional career, the centre-back has never played as a forward.
The furthest he has been pushed up the pitch was as a defensive midfielder, and that happened just twice. He has also filled in at right-back four times and left-back three times.
That said, for a centre-back, Danso’s attacking numbers are not too shabby. In his 210 appearances at the heart of the defence, he has found the net nine times and provided 11 assists.
| Played as… | Apps | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Centre-back | 210 | 9 | 11 |
| Right-back | 4 | – | – |
| Left-back | 3 | – | 1 |
| Defensive midfield | 2 | 1 | – |
If Tottenham are ever chasing a game and in desperate need of a goal, Danso might just be worth a punt up top.