Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg's name has cropped up recently at a time when Tottenham fans are debating a lack of leadership on the pitch. Very much a key figure on the field for Spurs during his time with the club, Hojbjerg is now playing his football in France for Marseille.
The Denmark international had made quite an impression for his new side, with his qualities both on and off the ball there for all to see in Roberto De Zerbi's team. Hojbjerg may not be Marseille's captain but he has an active role on the field due to his winning mentality.
He is someone who leads by example and Tottenham really could have done with the 29-year-old to help guide them through such a testing period. That is not the case, however, as Hojbjerg bid farewell to N17 last summer on loan with an obligation to make the move permanent.
Marseille are now the ones benefitting from having the Denmark captain leading the way in the middle of the park and also raising the standards both on and off the pitch. In front of the media this week, Hojbjerg opened up on his leadership role and outlined the importance of the team.
“At the end of the day it’s important to have a few players that take the responsibility in the dressing room,” he said, as reported by Get French Football News. “To raise the standards, it’s not just the first XI: a real team is made up of 15-17 players that share the same values and work well together during the week.”
“I’m not the papa," he added. “You need these kind of players who want to bring the team to success. I remember the last time we played Saint-Etienne, [Geoffrey] Kondogbia gave a really important speech in a simple and effective way.
“We are a team that are under construction, and we are transforming in a very positive way. Everyone has a role to play and everyone has their time to shine.”
Hojbjerg is shining for Marseille right now at a time when Spurs could really do with a player with his presence in the middle of the park. Tottenham may have replaced Hojbjerg in the summer with talented teenagers such as Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall but they failed to replace the ex-Southampton man's leadership qualities.
Gray and Bergvall can both become huge leaders for Tottenham in the future but what Spurs require right now - and what has been clear to see in this incredibly testing period - is leaders who can act as a figurehead when times are tough and drag the team kicking and screaming to victory. Son Heung-min's credentials as captain have been questioned recently, especially with the long-serving player having barely any influence on pivotal cup fixtures against Liverpool and Aston Villa.
What is going to help Ange Postecoglou this weekend, though, is the return of Guglielmo Vicario and James Maddison to the fold. Vicario is part of Tottenham's leadership group and his absence has been felt on the pitch since the end of November as he is more than just a goalkeeper.
"Yes, it is massive," Postecoglou said on the duo when speaking in his pre-match press conference. "Both of them, particularly Vic, it is not just that Vic is an outstanding goalkeeper but in training he is such a presence among the boys.
"He gets everyone going and it has been tough without him because we’ve used three other goalkeepers. They’ve all contributed but none of them have let us down. It’s just that Vic is experienced and has a strong personality.
"Madders is the same. He has enormous self-belief and that filters through the team. The energy and experience they bring to training will certainly make a difference for us."
Tottenham do need the duo to help make a difference on the pitch due to their position in the Premier League table, with Cristian Romero also someone who can do likewise once he returns in the next two to three weeks. What the past couple of months has highlighted to all is that Spurs lack leaders on the pitch and that is something they must address prior to the 2025/26 campaign.
At a time when Hojbjerg's move to Marseille will become permanent in the summer, Tottenham need to find new leaders of their own to as they plot for the years ahead.
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