The Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper has been in top form for Roberto De Zerbi just weeks after his career at the club looked to be in doubt
Antonin Kinsky believes the way his parents raised him prepared him for turning around his Tottenham career in the past month.
The 23-year-old goalkeeper found himself mocked after a nightmare Champions League evening in Madrid in March as Atletico raced into a 3-0 lead, helped by two miss-kicks from the young Czech goalkeeper. To compound his embarrassment, Kinsky was hauled off by then interim Spurs boss Igor Tudor just 17 minutes into the match in Spain.
Rather than being the moment when his Tottenham career fell apart, it instead ended up being the catalyst for Kinsky to hit new heights when he returned to goal last month after Guglielmo Vicario needed hernia surgery. He looked back on that night and explained that he analysed it thoroughly in order to understand it.
"Confused is the right word to describe my emotions, and I was angry with myself, as I would be if I didn’t do something well, or the way that I should be doing it, but I did everything as I normally would. After the game, I was asking for clips of everything from warm-ups to all of my actions during those first 17 minutes because I wanted to work out what was behind it, and if I did anything out of the ordinary. I wanted to find a conclusion," he said in an interview with Spurs' matchday programme from their game against Leeds.
"You can have a feeling, but sometimes it is also good to watch everything back, or ask someone that you trust to see if they share the same opinion as you, as a learning point. That gave me the confidence and the calmness not to change too many things and just to keep going and get ready for my next moment.
"I was sad about what happened, but on the other hand, I was calm because I have good people around me who always give me great feedback. They really think about it and are honest with me. I listened to them, and then compared their feelings to mine, and they were similar. At that point for me, it was just about keeping going and making sure that when the next opportunity came, I would be ready again, just as I was before that game."
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Kinsky has since pulled off top drawer saves against Wolves and Leeds in recent weekends to save Spurs from defeats, including eye-catching stops from Joe Rodon and late on Sean Longstaff on Monday night. He has drawn praise from all corners, especially from new head coach Roberto De Zerbi, and he puts it down to the lessons learned as a child.
"I know myself, I know the way that my parents raised me, it doesn’t matter how difficult the moment is in life, that's the challenge, to deal with it, and it’s a nice feeling when you do that. While what happened was something that I didn’t wish for, these things happen, and it wasn't my first bad moment," he explained.
"Until the moment that I got here, when I was playing in the different divisions in Czechia, there have been moments like this. The only difference is that more people see it here. I’m not too worried about how those people feel about me. I care about how I feel about myself. I think this is why it hasn't affected me too much.
"I think for me, coming back in goal, even after something like that happens, I get confidence from the work that I put in if I know that I do the maximum every day I can. If there is a game that I’m not playing in, in the morning I do some warm-ups, and after the game I go on to the pitch because I have a lot of energy. For me, it’s another day to use wisely and get the most out of."
Kinsky can often be seen doing extra work after matches at home and away and those around Hotspur Way speak about him being a classic "first in, last out" character when it comes to training. The stopper has benefited from a close relationship with the goalkeeping coaching staff including Fabian Otte and Dean Brill.
"I would say we are really, really close. I’ve been at some clubs and haven't had this connection with my coaches. Not everyone is open to going out and working after a game, especially one that you lose or draw, as they are on their feet the whole day, leading the warm-up and everything," he said.
"After a game, they still go out with me, and they do these 30-40 minute sessions of just kicking. I am really appreciative that they have the energy to do this extra work and am grateful to have this kind of support behind me and helping me do my best every day, because it's part of it."
With all that work on his kicking, a key component of what De Zerbi asks of his goalkeepers, Kinsky believes it will pay dividends.
"I think at these moments, that's the difference. For example, if I have the ball at my feet, I could get an assist or start a good attack. Because of the hours of training, this could be the time when it works perfectly," he said.
"These details are exactly the decisive thing at this level. This is, for me, the reason behind why I do it, as well as for preparation for situations like these when I go out on the pitch in front of the fans in an important phase of the season after not playing the whole season."
Kinsky has been impressed by De Zerbi in the early weeks of the campaign and said the Italian has reminded the squad what they are capable of.
"I think it has gone very well. From the way he speaks and from what you read about him, you can tell that he believes in us. That is the big message that he gives us overall. He reminds us of the quality that we have in the squad, and that instead of speaking about it, we need to show it. This, of course, has helped, and I believe that it is going to work. Our performances are starting to show that," said the keeper."
"Where it all starts is in the head. If you don’t believe it, you can’t achieve it. I hope and believe this is the right way. We all feel that we have the quality to get out of this situation. Now it’s about proving that feeling on the pitch."