‘Timing was right’ – Spurs academy graduate looks back on his debut performance

Japhet Tanganga has opened up on making his Tottenham debut in the Premier League two seasons ago and claims he had to make every second count in that game.

Spurs academy graduate Tanganga was handed his first senior start in the top-flight against Liverpool by then-manager Jose Mourinho in the January of the 2019-20 campaign. 

Despite Spurs eventually losing the game 1-0, the England U20 international didn’t let the scenario faze him as he put in a confident display against star winger Sadio Mané. 

But one of his biggest contributions to the match came when he made an impressive block on the line to prevent a sure Roberto Firmino goal just minutes into the encounter. 

Opening up on his first league start which is now more than two years ago, Tanganga admits he always believed his time would come and says the rush of adrenaline slowed as the game progressed. 

He said in an interview with the club: “I think my faith in myself, my faith in my religion and God for knowing that his timing is better than my timing [to break into the first-team].

“Thankfully, the timing was right to play against Liverpool and from there everything else is history.

“I had to make every second count because that was my first game on a big stage against a big club and the manager to put me in that game of that magnitude to trust me like that. 

“I remember against Liverpool, clearing one off the line and it seemed so quick. But for me, things kind of slowed down, so I can relate to that, that things in football do slow down sometimes and in football every second counts and it goes quick.”t

Tanganga has gone on to register 43 appearances for Spurs since his debut, being used as both a centre-back and right-back (Transfermarkt). 

He started the current campaign well under Nuno Espirito Santo but fell out of contention with Spurs’ form dropping just a third of the way through the season. 

Featuring briefly under current head coach Antonio Conte, Tanganga has been absent over the last few weeks with a knee injury. 

Spurs Web Opinion 

Most were pretty shocked to see Tanganga handed his debut in a match like that, especially as a right-back out of his regular position. He competed well and went on to put in some good displays for the rest of the season. 

Unfortunately, he hasn’t managed to kick on as much over the last season-and-a-half and injuries haven’t helped that but hopefully he can get back on track soon. 

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