Burnley star Maxime Estève has admitted he used to watch Tottenham as a youngster, and still has an eye on them now as he thinks he’s similar to Mickey van de Ven.
Foot Mercato have an interview with the French defender today as he gets ready to return to the Premier League with Burnley next season.
Estève joined Burnley on a permanent basis in a €12m deal in the summer following a loan spell at the club from February last year.
That short spell in the Premier League proved to be a difficult one for him and the Clarets as they headed back to the Championship with a 19th placed finish.
They’re now back and Estève is clearly delighted about that, as he admits his sights are set on playing for a top six side, after previously watching Tottenham as a youngster.
“I’ve never really been a fan of a club when I was a kid,” he said, when asked if there’s a ‘dream’ club he’d like to join.
“I was more a fan of some players, but not a fan of a club. Just me, I dreamed of England really when I was a kid, I watched that, almost that on TV. My favorite player was Gareth Bale when he played in Tottenham at the time.
“Because when I was a kid, I was a left-wing, left-hand lateral wingman. My dream is more to play for a top 6 club in England. But I don’t have a club where I’ll tell you, my dream is to go there.”
Estève has been earning rave reviews in the Championship this season as part of a Burnley team that’s only conceded 16 goals all year.
They have the best defensive record in the division by far, with champions Leeds United finishing on 30 goals conceded and Sheffield United in third conceding 36 in total.
How Estève adapts to the Premier League at the second opportunity remains to be seen, but he admits he thinks he’s similar to a current player in the division, Tottenham’s Micky van de Ven.
“There’s a player I love very much in the Premier League, not all the earth talking about him, it’s Micky van de Ven, the center of Tottenham,” he added.
“He goes very fast, and I like him, because I have the impression that I have a bit of the same speed qualities, even if he goes much faster.
“I’m inspired by him, because he’s a player who has about the same profile as me. I’m really trying to look at left-handed centres, because there’s a little less, it’s a little bit rarer.”