Kevin Phillips singles out the Spurs player who deserves a new contract

Former Sunderland striker Kevin Phillips has backed Tottenham’s attempts to get Japhet Tanganga signed up to a long-term deal after the defender’s impressive displays in the last month.

Tanganga has proven that he has the ability to cope with some of the best attackers in the league since being handed his opportunity by Jose Mourinho.

The 20-year-old has displayed maturity beyond his years with his performances and has made it near impossible for the Spurs boss to drop him.

Additionally, he has also been employed in different positions across the back line and has proven that he’s versatile enough to do a job at either full-back positions and centre back.

Football Insider claimed on Tuesday that Spurs are close to agreeing a new deal with Tanganga after their initial offer was rejected.

Phillips revealed that he has been mightily impressed with the young defender and has backed Spurs’ decision to reward him with a pay rise for his efforts.

When asked if Tanganga deserved a new contract, Phillips told Football Insider: “Yeah I do, I’ve been very impressed with him.

“To be shoved into the team, to be thrown into it, and to perform the way he did – he’s athletic, he’s powerful.

“Of course, his delivery at times needs to be better, but that will come with experience and more working on the training ground.

“Certainly, if you’re the Tottenham board and Jose Mourinho, you wouldn’t be looking to lose that player.

“So yeah, rewarding him with a new deal, going from £1,000 to £15,000 a week, in the Premier League now it’s nothing.

“You would certainly want to tie that player down, and if he keeps performing and progressing, certainly in the short period that he has done, that money will bump up over the years.

“The kid could turn out to be a fantastic player for Tottenham. I’ve been very impressed with him.”

Spurs Web Opinion

I have particularly been impressed by how calm and unfazed Tanganga has looked so far. He has come up against some top attackers but he rarely seems to get flustered or lose his cool, which is a great sign for a defender. It will be interesting to see if Jose continues to use him as a full-back or reverts him back to centre back.

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