Tottenham’s Lucas Bergvall continues to garner major praise from his Sweden international teammates in his first taste of a major international tournament.
Bergvall made history by becoming the youngest Swedish player to play at the World Cup when he came on as a 65th-minute substitute in his nation’s 5-1 win over Tunisia.
The 20-year-old, who struggled for starts under Roberto De Zerbi in the final few games of last season, certainly showed Graham Potter what he can do, injecting energy and creativity into the game and picking up an assist.
The Swedish press have waxed lyrical about the Spurs youngster, and so have his teammates.
Celtic star says Tottenham’s Lucas Bergvall is one of Sweden’s ‘greatest ever talents’
Last week, Spurs Web relayed that three different Sweden players had named Bergvall as one who had impressed them the most in the training camp in the lead-up to the tournament.
The man Bergvall replaced in the second-half of the win over Tunisia, Benjamin Nygren, has now also waxed lyrical about the Spurs youngster and the talent he possesses.
The Celtic midfielder told Fotbollskanalen: “Lucas is, after all, one of the greatest talents Sweden has ever had. He’s amazing both as a player, and I really like him as a person.
“We’ve become close. In a national team, there should be a lot of competition. The more competition, the stronger the team becomes. It’s a good thing.”
Bergvall and Benjamin Nygren competing for a starting spot
Graham Potter’s men face a crunch game against group favourites, the Netherlands, next up, and Bergvall would be hoping he has done enough to warrant a start against the Dutch.
Fotbollskanalen assert that the Spurs and Celtic stars are directly competing for the eight/10 role, but Nygren failed to divulge who will start.
When asked if he is expecting to start against the Dutch, the 24-year-old responded: “Of course, I have a hunch, but I can’t go around saying that. Competition is a good thing; it makes the team stronger. We need a strong squad to go far in the tournament.
“We’re here to win, and at the same time, everyone here wants to help the team. Competition is a good thing. It just makes the team stronger. Lucas is probably a bit more of a pure midfielder. I’m a bit more offensive. I get into the box a bit more and have historically been a bit more of a goal scorer.”