Dominic Solanke believes that he is making the move to Tottenham Hotspur at the right stage of his career, insisting that he is now ready to kick on and take his game to the next level.
Tottenham sign Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth
While Solanke was always thought of as an extremely talented player during his younger days at Chelsea and Liverpool, we did not see the youngster start to fulfil his potential in the Premier League until last season.
The 26-year-old appeared to come of age at Bournemouth last term following the arrival of Andoni Iraola, finishing the campaign with 21 goals across all competitions, which is an astonishing tally, considering the Cherries finished in 12th place.
Solanke believes he has turned a corner in his career and that the next chapter at Spurs can be a successful one.
The striker said in his first interview on Tottenham’s official channel: “I think me as a player I am ambitious on the pitch, I work hard for the team, score goals, leave it all out there and I love winning so hopefully we can win a few things together. That’s what I’m going to bring that fighting spirit.
“I’ve had quite a journey in football, everyone’s journey is different, but I wouldn’t change it as I’ve had a lot of ups and downs as well and I think that’s made me who I am today on and off the pitch. I’m grateful for everything really and hopefully, I can carry on my form.
“I’m improving all the time, at the moment I am full of confidence and I feel like my game has improved a lot. I’m at that point in my career where it’s all starting to come together and I think that was the start of last season.”
Solanke can’t wait to get started at Spurs
With the season now just a week away, Solanke admitted that he is chomping at the bits to link up with the squad and showcase his qualities in this Spurs side.
He added: “The season is not that far away and I’m sure that the boys will make me feel welcome and we can learn [from} each other very quickly, but, like I mentioned earlier, the style of play definitely suits me as well and I’m looking forward to gelling with everyone.
“I would say my attributes are movement, goals, work hard, link-up play and hopefully I can bring all that together for Tottenham.”
Spurs Web Opinion
Footballers mature at different ages and Solanke seems to now be at a place where he understands his game much better.
His transition to Tottenham’s system should be fairly straightforward, given that he played in a high-pressing system under Andoni Iraola last term.