Dejan Kulusevski has admitted that he was left amazed by the intensity and physicality he saw in his first training session at Tottenham, describing English football as ‘a different sport’.
Kulusevski is still waiting for his first Tottenham start, having come off the bench in the 3-1 win over Brighton and the 3-2 loss to Southampton following his move to North London on transfer deadline day.
The Swede’s time at Juventus might not have gone exactly according to plan but he admitted that he is excited to start a new adventure at Spurs.
When asked what went wrong for him at the Serie A giants, the winger told Sky Sport Italia: “Honestly, I don’t know. Sometimes it happens in football. I didn’t find enough space and I could not accomplish what I had inside myself. Life goes on.
“I’ve had many beautiful moments, especially last season. We had a nice end to the campaign winning the Coppa Italia against Atalanta. I am a Tottenham player now and I am happy.”
Kulusevski admitted that he always harboured ambitions of playing in the Premier League but revealed the intensity of the competition took him by surprise.
He said regarding his move to Spurs: “Coming here was fantastic because I’ve always wanted to play in the Premier League, it’s a league that I watched on TV.
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“I am very happy to be in a city like London and in a club like Tottenham, with fantastic teammates and very knowledgeable staff.
“I can’t wait to do well here and I will give everything to do my best. The first day I saw their training and it amazed me. They play another sport, much faster and more intense, with lots of sprints and physicality. Here the fouls practically do not exist.”
The 21-year-old also spoke about the disappointment in the dressing room following Tottenham’s loss at home to Southampton.
He stated that the players are now focused on putting things right against Wolves on Sunday and insisted there is belief in the dressing room that Spurs can finish in the top four this season.
When asked about the loss to the Saints, the former Juve man said: “Conte was very angry and the same goes for us players, we never want to lose. Now we have another match in three days and we have to work calmly to get back to winning.
“The goal is to finish in the top four, it’s very hard but we have to believe in it. I believe in it because the team is very strong.
“As for personal goals, on the other hand, I want to be happy and stay well both on and off the pitch with my family: if I’m well I can score many goals and many assists.
“I don’t know what my best value is technically, but I can say that I never give up. Anything can happen, but I know what I want and I always keep my head up.”
Spurs Web Opinion
Kulusevski certainly seems to possess the physicality required for Premier League. So, it will not take him too long to adapt to that aspect of English football.
However, the increased intensity and pace of the game will likely take some getting used to and we might not see the best of the 21-year-old until next season.
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