Wilson Odobert has shed light on his relationship with Thomas Frank and his own development under the Danish coach at Tottenham.
Tottenham have had problems in their forward line this season, with Thomas Frank himself admitting a couple of months ago that no player has managed to nail down the left-wing role.
That is why Spurs fans were frustrated that the club did not add to their attack in January, especially given the current injury crisis and the fact that Brennan Johnson was sold.
However, the bloated injury list and the lack of signings give a chance for some of Tottenham’s youngsters to make a case to Frank and one winger is determined to do just that.
Wilson Odobert admits he feels ‘trust’ from Tottenham boss Thomas Frank
Odobert has been the most impressive of Tottenham’s wingers this season, except summer signing Mohammed Kudus, and the Frenchman admits that he feels trusted by the manager.
The 21-year-old explained that he is working hard to improve both on and off the pitch, confessing that he wants to improve his numbers.
When asked about his relationship with Frank, the former Burnley man said on Tottenham’s matchday programme ahead of the club’s clash on Saturday: “We have a good relationship. He trusts me and I feel that trust. It’s by having that close, trustable relationship that I’m able to feel freer out on the pitch and do things I’m capable of.
“We work a lot with the coach, we have a lot of videos, we all try to focus on our improvement and we work as much as we can to make things change.
“I think I have to keep improving, both as a player and as a person. It’s true that in football we talk a lot about statistics at the moment, so I’m trying to improve those stats but, more than anything, to help the team and be someone who contributes to this team as much as possible.”
Odobert admits he now feels at home in English football
Having moved to the Premier League when he was a teenager, the youngster has taken time to adapt to the demands of the competition, and he revealed that he now feels a lot more at home.
Odobert said about his journey: “I trained in the PSG youth system when I was young. I learned a lot both technically and tactically which has helped me become who I am today, so it was a really good experience. When I arrived (in England), I was just a kid.
“I was discovering living abroad for the first time. I wasn’t in my country. Of course, it was a bit difficult at the beginning, with the adaptation to the language and being away from my parents. But now I’ve settled in well and am adapting well to English football, to the Premier League. I think I’m maturing and have come a long way.”
Given the position Tottenham find themselves at the moment, one would think they may be tempted to prioritise the Champions League, but Odobert insisted that he and his teammates want to finish as high up the table as possible.
The winger added: “We know that we’ve been knocked out of the two domestic cup competitions, so in the Premier League we need to win as many matches as we can and get as high a position as possible in the table.”