João Palhinha did everything he could to stay at Bayern Munich this summer. But when the opportunity came to move to Tottenham Hotspur, the Portuguese midfielder was happy for his fresh start. And it is a chance he has grabbed with both hands.
The change of environment has been everything for Palhinha, who is now a mainstay in Thomas Frank’s Spurs side and scoring entertaining and crucial goals.
“[Last season] was a difficult season for me,” Palhinha revealed in recent comments captured by @iMiaSanMia. “I was injured and was out for longer than I’d expected. After that, I didn’t get the chances I think I deserved [at Bayern], which also had an impact on my playing time with the national team. But these are phases. Our careers thrive on phases. Now, I’m going through a happy phase in my life. A new club, a new project, in a league that’s not new to me and that I’m enjoying again.
“At Tottenham, I’ve had chances I didn’t have before. I feel complete confidence in the people who wanted me to join the club. In this case, the manager. When we feel this confidence and that we’re wanted somewhere, I think that’s where we should be. I made this decision very easily. These chances are making me once again show what I’m capable of. I’m very happy with this new challenge and just want to enjoy the Premier League to the fullest.”
Palhinha never got off on the right foot at Bayern. Injuries aside, he arrived as the coach who wanted him originally departed. And the new manager, Vincent Kompany, had a noticeably distinct style of play. Sometimes a change of environment is for the best.
The 30-year-old is only on loan this season, but with how well he is integrating, his chances for sticking around permanently look good at the moment.