Dimitar Berbatov has talked about the challenges he faced after his move to Tottenham Hotspur, and his comment would give some perspective to Spurs fans on being patient with new signings.
Patience is not a virtue that modern-day football fans have, and one of Tottenham’s marquee summer signings is finding that out first-hand.
Xavi Simons is coming under a lot of criticism, with some pundits already deeming him a bad fit for the Premier League.
The fact that Xavi was unhappy to be taken off against Everton has made some fans livid, and the £52m man certainly has a lot of work to do to win over the Tottenham faithful.
However, a former Tottenham star’s confession about his early struggles shows why Spurs fans need to be patient with the Dutchman.
Dimitar Berbatov makes an admission about early Tottenham tribulations
Berbatov oozed class from the second he set foot on the pitch at White Hart Lane in 2006, but the Bulgarian has admitted that he certainly had some doubts and challenges after his move from Bayer Leverkusen.
When asked about the struggles of Florian Witz at Liverpool, the former Spurs striker has pointed out how difficult it is for a new signing coming into the Premier League.
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Berbatov said on Rio Ferdinand Presents: “The same process was happening when I went to Leverkusen. In the beginning, it didn’t work out quite well. I needed to be patient. In Tottenham, again, new environment, again, new people, new language, new everything. Again, the things were taking too long to happen for me. I was thinking, maybe I need to go back.
“But when I was thinking like this, then my other, not personality, but my other me, was telling me ‘No, no, no, no. You see what happened in Leverkusen. Just be patient. Keep working. You have the quality. You deserve to be here. You wanted something to change. Now you’re here.
“Now be stubborn. Be patient. Keep working. Not sitting. It’s not going to fall like this on your lap. Work smart or hard. Try to know when, which when, and work. And it will happen’. You basically want to go to your safe place, your safe environment. But you need to have that motivation and that ambition in you as well to overcome the fear. So my ambition was bigger than my fear.”
Berbatov points to Luka Modric at Spurs
A couple of weeks ago, Thomas Frank drew comparisons between Wirtz and Simons’ early struggles in the Premier League, backing both players to come good once they get adjusted to the pace and intensity of the division.
While discussing Wirtz, Berbatov pointed to former Tottenham man, Luka Modric, as someone who thrived in English football despite his short stature after adjusting to the division.
The same argument can be applied to Xavi as well, who is not too different to the Croat in terms of his stature and style of play.
The former Tottenham and Man United striker added: “The way he (Wirtz) sees football, how he looks for the space, how he knows how to position himself, the touches on the ball, the improvisation, the eye for the pass and for the goals.
“Of course, someone can argue that his physique is not that great for the Premier League. But then you can easily see the great players of his position, like Modric, also the same build. Modric. F***ing monster. It’s unbelievable. So give him time. I think he’s going to be unbelievable for Liverpool.”