Mathys Tel has become ever so important for Tottenham Hotspur in recent weeks due to injuries to the frontline, and his impact has forced Troy Deeney to change his mind about him.
Tel has often been inconsistent for Tottenham, and he has struggled to get proper game time over the course of the season.
The Frenchman has started just 10 Premier League matches and, over his 28 total appearances, averages just 40 minutes per game.
For a talent as highly regarded as Tel, that lack of minutes is undoubtedly a statistic that bothers him, and over the last few months he has looked to change that.
Now, after Tottenham’s win versus Aston Villa, Deeney has made quite the admission about Tel and how he has changed his mind.
MORE SPURS STORIES
🏟️ TOTTENHAM MATCHDAY HUB 🏟️
Line-ups, predicted XIs, player ratings, tactical verdicts, match analysis, and live Spurs form guides.
Get 24/7 updates from your definitive Lilywhites source
What has Troy Deeney said about Tottenham’s Mathys Tel?
Tel’s performance against Aston Villa may have been one of his best in a Tottenham shirt.
Roberto De Zerbi’s decision to bring Tel into the starting lineup proved trumps, and he looks on course to end the season as first choice in N17.
The display from the French talent has caught the eye of many, including former Premier League striker Deeney.
Deeney has selected three Tottenham players in his BBC team of the week, including Tel, admitting the player has changed his mind.
Deeney states: ‘I thought Tel was arguably the most overrated player that Spurs bought, but since the turn of the year he has had a light switch in his head that says, “Hold on, I was at Bayern Munich, and now I could be playing in the Championship’.
“He stepped up. He has played big minutes in terms of carrying the ball forward and being an outlet and now is adding assists to it. That cross for Richarlison was a striker’s dream.”
How Mathys Tel has been stepping up for Tottenham this season
Many may forget that Tel is still in the infancy of his footballing career, with the Frenchman just 21 years old.
The forward has many years left to improve and really drill down on the areas he has to work on. However, he has shown plenty of promise this season.
Among all players under the age of 23 in the Premier League, Tel ranks in seventh place for both successful dribbles (36) and successful crosses (22), despite just 1110 minutes, as per Sofascore.
Tel has only contributed to four goals this season, but when breaking down his minutes, that accounts for a goal or assist every 277.5 minutes.
Considering his early season struggles, those statistics are certainly not bad reading for the Tottenham forward, who must simply start when Spurs face Leeds.
Don’t Miss a Beat: Your Tottenham Hotspur News Access
Get the full story from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Hotspur Way with our dedicated expert hubs:
Updated 24/7 with expert analysis from N17 and Hotspur Way.