‘That’s all he wanted’ – Postecoglou makes admission about Giovani Lo Celso

Ange Postecoglou has insisted that he never really needed to have any special conversations with Giovani Lo Celso about his future, revealing that the midfielder was just keen to get opportunities to showcase his qualities.

James Maddison’s injury has offered Lo Celso a chance to play himself into Postecoglou’s plans and the Argentine has grabbed the opportunity with both hands over recent weeks.

While some reports over the last week have continued to suggest that Barcelona are eyeing a move for the 27-year-old, it has been alleged that the player will not demand to leave Spurs in January since he is now getting game time (Standard).

After being overlooked by successive Tottenham managers, it appears like Lo Celso might finally get a chance to rescue his career at the North London club.

Lo Celso just wanted a chance to impress at Spurs

When asked what conversations he had with Lo Celso during the summer, Postecoglou told Football.London: “I didn’t have that specific sort of talk to him or anyone else [about wiping the slate clean]. 

“I think most players understand that. Some might feel that what they’ve done in the past is enough, that’s fair enough as well, or if they’ve come off a tough time, then they see it as an opportunity for some sort of redemption.

“The only thing with Gio, I just wanted to make sure, not just him but all those guys who were on the periphery and uncertain about their future, was that I wasn’t going to make any decision until they had a real good opportunity to show me what they could do. 

“I sensed with him that that’s all he wanted and he was prepared to take whatever fallout there was from that, but he wanted a decent shot at it.

Postecoglou suggested that Lo Celso might have got his opportunities sooner if not for his injury troubles this season.

The Australian continued: “He was good through pre-season and then the Fulham game was the second game of the year where he picked up the injury that set him back, but he’s been good, not just in the last two games, but for the last month for us in terms of training and what he’s been delivering. 

“Hopefully, that gives him the confidence because he’s definitely a talented player. You see how important he is to the Argentina national team.”

Postecoglou acknowledged that the tight Spanish-speaking contingent at Spurs, which is led by Cristian Romero, contributed to Lo Celso feeling at home and producing his best on the pitch.

When asked if having the likes of Romero, Bryan Gil and Emerson Royal around has helped the former Real Betis man, the 58-year-old answered: “I suspect so. I know they are very close. I think our dressing room right now is a pretty united, albeit eclectic, one where there are some differences in culture and music choice and all these other things.

“They’re a pretty united group. They integrate with one another really well, but there’s no doubt that Romero is a big influence over some of the guys who are closest to him, and Gio is certainly one of them.

“But Gio is his own man. He’s an experienced player, he knows what he wants out of his career. He senses there’s an opportunity now for him here and he wants to make the most of it. That’s great for us because, with Madders out, he was going to be difficult to replace.

“I don’t think Gio is like for like, but Madders was providing goals and assists and you kind of go, ‘we need that, whoever comes in’. The fact that he’s scored a couple of goals and he’s been involved in a couple of goals has been great for us.”

Spurs Web Opinion

While Maddison’s injury has undoubtedly been a major blow for Spurs, the one silver lining is the fact that it has helped Lo Celso get a run of matches under his belt and showcase his qualities.

The 27-year-old undoubtedly has the attributes to thrive in Postecoglou’s system and it would have been a waste if he had been let go in January without getting too many opportunities to prove himself.