Wayne Rooney was full of praise for Xavi Simons, who finally opened his Tottenham account in the 2-0 victory over Brentford on Saturday.
Simons was signed by Tottenham in the summer but has struggled in the early stages of his Spurs career.
The Dutch international was meant to be Thomas Frank’s star signing, but his performances even saw him drop to the bench before the match against the Bees.
However, against Brentford, Simons shone, getting both a goal and an assist as he helped ease the pressure on his manager.
Wayne Rooney: Xavi Simons will kick on now after his goal
Simons was no doubt a delight to watch against Brentford.
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The attacking midfielder dominated the match, with the Bees unable to stop him.
His pass to Richarlison was selfless as he gave the Brazilian a tap-in to open the scoring at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
From here, he only got better, with Simons going on to score a wonderful goal after pinching the ball on the halfway line.
As a result, Simons was hailed by Danny Murphy after the game, with Rooney now jumping on the bandwagon.
Speaking on The Wayne Rooney Show on 8 December, the former England international was pleased to see him among the goals, just weeks after he interviewed him at Hotspur Way.
He said: “I was really impressed with him, with his whole body language and how he spoke… I was really impressed with him.
“We talk about Salah and him thinking that he has just earned the right to play, his [Simon’s] determination he has had at the different clubs he has been at, it was a really good insight and a good chat we had with him.
“I’m delighted for him to get his goal as well; he has been waiting for that. I think that will be the start of him kicking on because he is a top player.”
What did Simons say after Tottenham’s victory?
Simons was obviously delighted to have finally scored for Spurs after what had been a poor start to his career in England.
The Netherlands international showcased to the Tottenham crowd how good he really is, with his goal being one of the best at the stadium this season.
Speaking to BBC Sport on 6 December, Simons reflected on his goal.
He stated: “When I received the ball I said to myself: ‘Just go’. I know I’m quite fast with the ball so I saw some space and I went towards it.
“It means a lot to me as I’ve been through new situations in my private life and in football. But you have to handle that every day and come into the club with the mindset of working. For sure I knew it would come, it was just a matter of time. I put the work and dedication in every day and it was important to score, but the most important thing was the three points.
“I was hungry to play. I want to play football. I want to enjoy being here every day, with the fans, and making my dreams come true.”