The Tottenham Hotspur striker has been speaking out in Sydney after the victory against Chelsea in their pre-season derby on Sunday
Dominic Solanke has promised that there is more to come from him at Tottenham this season and says that he is fit and feels good after a year mostly lost to injury.
The 28-year-old missed the first half of last season for Spurs with an ankle problem that took months to get to the bottom of and then he never really found his sharpness and groove in the weeks ahead before a hamstring problem ended his season prematurely at the end of April.
That also ended the England international's World Cup hopes but now Solanke is back and made his second appearance of the summer, playing the first 45 minutes as Tottenham beat Chelsea in Sydney.
His second half replacement Richarlison netted a 92nd minute winner to ensure 10-man Spurs saw off the Blues 2-1 in the pre-season derby Down Under on Saturday. That last-gasp strike came after a first goal for £100million signing Sandro Tonali, an equaliser for Chelsea's Estevao and a 48th minute red card for Kevin Danso just three minutes after coming off the bench.
Here's every single word Solanke said in his press conference after the game at the Accor Stadium.
How good is it to be back out there playing your first minutes of the tour?
Yeah, great. Feeling good. It's always nice to be back on the pitch, especially after the summer break. So, yes, I've enjoyed the tour and it's nice to be back out there.
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Obviously a difficult last season in many respects, but also personally with injuries. How are you feeling now with your body?
I feel good. Yeah, I think, like you said, it was a very tough year last year for me. I missed pretty much the majority of the season with injuries. I'm focused a lot on staying fit this year and hopefully I can do that.
How's it been with the manager? What's he said to you about your role going forward this season?
He's a great manager. I'm getting on with him really well. He's obviously done a great job so far, especially the back end of last season. I think this pre-season so far we've had a lot of time to work on the pitch and hopefully it'll be a good year.
Roberto plays a particularly attacking style, that must be exciting for you as a striker?
Yeah, 100 per cent. He's a fantastic manager. He's great to play under and the way he plays is definitely, like you said, a great way for an attacker like me. So, yeah, I'm looking forward to the season.
How much more is there still to come from you this year?
Yeah, a lot. I think it's always nice to demand more from yourself. Obviously, like I said already, last season was a tough year so I want to have a much better year this year. I'm feeling good and hopefully I can stay fit and have a great year.
Before this summer, you were Spurs' record transfer, but that's been broken a couple of times since. Does that come with any pressure? Have you spoken to the guys about the pressure?
There's always pressure in football, no matter how much money you go for, especially when you come to a club like Tottenham. We know we need to perform. I think they've been two great additions, they're two great guys and I hope they think we've welcomed them really well so far. They suit our style of play very well too, so I'm sure they'll be fine.
Is it nice to lose the price tag?
It's not really something you think about too much. Obviously, when it first comes there's a bit of noise around it, but I've been here a couple of years now. Obviously in football, the prices seem to keep getting higher and higher, so I'm sure in the next few years it'll be broken again. There's always pressure in football, so I think the numbers are just numbers.
Can you give a bit of an insight into what it's like to work for Roberto as a striker?
He has a specific style of play that, like we mentioned, is great for attackers. We like to have the ball, we like to dominate a lot of games, so I think as a footballer you want to be the team in possession and I think this year we can do really well in that.
You looked fit and strong out there on the pitch. How you were over the off-season? Did you do anything special to get yourself in the best shape for the season ahead?
Yeah, I did. I think last pre-season was a tough one for me, I missed a lot of it, so I wanted to make sure I came back in the best way possible and make sure I take care of all the little niggles. But like I said before, I feel good.
Were you doing some personal training outside or did you go anywhere special to sort that out?
I've been doing a bit of work with the staff here and my own guy. One of my main focus is staying fit, so hopefully I can do that.
We all know how big a club Tottenham is, but does it still blow you away to come to the other side of the world and see 80,000 people coming out for you in Sydney?
Yeah, 100 per cent. Like you said, it's literally the other side of the world. We have to travel so far to come here, so to see the turnout and see all the fans, not just tonight but everywhere around the city, it's been magnificent.