Spurs player admits his team mate may have been affected by fan critiscism

Tottenham Hotspur defender Ben Davies has hailed his team-mate Moussa Sissoko for his resurgence at the club.

The former Newcastle United midfielder has endured a tough first two years at Tottenham but has shown a considerable improvement this season.

Sissoko was impressive in Saturday’s 3-1 demolition of Chelsea at Wembley and his performance was praised by Davies.

The Welshman believes that Sissoko was made out to be a scapegoat in the past and insists that the Tottenham players never doubted the quality that he possesses.

Such has been the upturn in his form, Sissoko has gone from being the focal point of the Tottenham faithful’s frustration to hearing his name being sung from all corners at Wembley.

While Davies admits that the previous criticism may have affected the midfielder, it is a credit to him that he has managed to work hard and recently earned his first cap for France after over a year in the international wilderness.

“I thought he was excellent again,” Davies told ESPN. “He’s really showing the quality he’s got, but we never had any doubts about what he can bring to this team.

“He got a bit of flak, sometimes perhaps unfairly, and he became a bit of a scapegoat when we didn’t perform at our best. But I thought on Saturday, and this season, he’s been excellent for us so we’re delighted for him.

“Did the criticism get to him? Possibly, it’s tough to say. It’s hard to get in players’ heads and see what they’re thinking at the time. If you get told you’re not playing well it’s going to get in your head, but if you can come back and turn it around from that, you can do anything.

“He’s really shown his importance to this team. He’s an incredibly hard worker and that’s what we’ve got throughout this team.”

Related Topics