Inside Futbol

One of Tottenham Hotspur’s stars has opened up on a ‘pact’ made with his national side team-mates that they would be ready for a fight with no excuses on Monday evening.

Spurs’ stars are off on international duty at present and boss Ange Postecoglou will be hoping they all report back without any injury issues.

Tottenham defender Ben Davies and his Wales side managed to register a 2-1 victory over hosts Montenegro in a UEFA Nations League match, thus giving manager Craig Bellamy his first win as manager.

It followed a goalless draw against Turkey and took Wales to second spot in group four of League B.

Davies, who wore the skipper’s armband in that match, revealed how challenging the situation was when they visited Montenegro for the match.

He revealed that his team-mates and himself made a pact where they vowed to offer up no excuses and to fight hard for the result.

“On paper people might say we’re favourites and may have better players but the reality is when you come to places like this they are some of the hardest games you’ll play”, Davies told the BBC.

“It’s the conditions, it’s the atmosphere, it’s the travel, it’s all against you at times.

“But I think as a group we made a pact to say that we aren’t going to have any excuses and before we got here we were ready for the fight.”

Davies will now switch his focus back to matters at club level with Spurs, who are due to host Arsenal in the north London derby on Sunday.

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A starlet that Tottenham Hotspur thought was bound for study in the United States was snapped up by one of their Premier League rivals, according to journalist Alan Nixon.

Spurs are keen to make sure they have a good supply of talents going through to the first team and this summer added two teenagers to the first team squad for big money in the shape of Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall.

They saw top prospect midfielder Han Willhoft-King though leave the club, with the 18-year-old intending to study at college in the United States.

Manchester City though found out about Willhoft-King leaving Tottenham and stepped in.

The champions’ charm offensive worked and the midfielder was convinced to snub college study and join Manchester City instead.

He accepted the proposal from Manchester City and will continue his development there.

Willhoft-King was on the books at Tottenham from the age of six and losing him to Premier League rivals when it seemed he had other plans will be a big blow.

He did have a scholarship at US college UCLA lined up, but is now turning out for Manchester City in the Premier League 2.

Stoke City sporting director Jon Walters believes that Tottenham Hotspur loan star Ashley Phillips has all the qualities to become an outstanding defender.

Spurs signed the Under-19 England international from Blackburn Rovers last summer on a five-year deal.

Phillips spent the second half of the last campaign with Championship side Plymouth Argyle and played 20 times for them.

The teenager now has been loaned out to Stoke City for a season and the Potters’ sporting director revealed that the club waited for the right player to be available before they made a move for Phillips.

Walters insisted that the Spurs loanee possesses all the qualities to become a top-level central defender in future.

“Whilst we identified the need to bring another central defender into our squad sometime ago, we opted to remain patient and await the right player of the right quality to become available”, Walters told his club’s in-house media about their centre-back search this summer.

“We’re delighted that our conversations with Ashley and with Tottenham have led to them each believing that Stoke City is the right club for him amid no shortage of competition.

“It’s clear that he has all the attributes to become an outstanding defender at this level and beyond, and we’re all excited to see what he can achieve for us this season.”

Ange Postecoglou will be keeping a close eye on the game time Phillips gets during his loan stay at the bet365 Stadium.

The defender, who has made one Championship appearance for the Potters so far, will want to play himself into Postecoglou’s plans for next term.

David Prutton believes Tottenham Hotspur have taken a ‘calculated risk’ by signing one of the players they brought in during the summer transfer window.

Spurs shipped out a whole host of players in the summer with the likes of Oliver Skipp and Emerson Royal going, while their incoming business was more limited and targeted.

Tottenham managed to convince Leeds United to part with 18-year-old Archie Gray for a transfer fee in the region of £40m, with the midfielder one of Spurs’ signings.

Former Premier League midfielder Prutton pointed out that Gray stands in the infancy of his career and stressed that the youngster only has one year of Championship football experience under his belt.

He believes that other Leeds stars who went to the Premier League, in the shape of Crysencio Summerville and Georginio Rutter, were more of a gamble than Gray though, who is a ‘calculated risk’.

“One of them in Archie Gray is in the very infancy of his career with one Championship season under his belt and the other two didn’t really do anything in the Premier League apart from the odd game here and there so the teams that have bought them are taking a bit of a punt”, wrote in his Yorkshire Evening Post column.

“Archie feels like a bit more of a calculated risk, given now the age of him, and also the ability to develop.”

Gray has featured twice for Ange Postecoglou’s side in the league so far, both of those outings coming off the bench.

Tottenham beat Brentford to the signing of the midfielder.

Tottenham Hotspur made a number of signings over the course of the summer transfer window and one of the new arrivals is already feeling settled, with golf possibly on the agenda.

Ange Postecoglou made four big signings of note in the summer with Dominic Solanke, Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall and Wilson Odobert arriving.

Spurs agreed a deal for 18-year-old Swedish midfielder Bergvall in February and he joined them during pre-season in the summer.

Bergvall managed to impress Postecoglou during Tottenham’s pre-season and has already made three appearances for Spurs coming off the bench in the Premier League.

The youngster, who is currently with the national team, revealed that everything at Tottenham feels like a step up from Djurgarden and praised the north London outfit’s facilities and coaches.

When asked about things he has found better in Spurs than his previous club, Bergvall was quoted as saying by Swedish outlet Fotbollskanalen: “It is everything.

“Facilities, recovery, food. Everything becomes like a better step.

“The training, the coaches, everything in general.”

Bergvall also stated that he is settling well and loving life in London and added that he is enjoying off-the-pitch activities there.

The Spurs starlet also stressed that playing golf is one of the off-the-pitch activities that he likes to do and enjoys.

“I have settled in well”, he added.

“Since I signed last winter, the apartment and everything was ready when I arrived.

“I’m enjoying myself.

“I can go down for a coffee, and have lots of activities in London, like playing golf, so there’s lots to do”.

Bergvall will be hoping that Jon Dahl Tomasson will give him his national team debut during the ongoing international break.

One of the fresh faces at Tottenham Hotspur this summer feels that he has ‘taken very big steps’ when it comes to adapting to life at the club and in the Premier League.

Spurs brought in Archie Gray and Dominic Solanke for big fees this summer, while Wilson Odobert and Lucas Bergvall also arrived.

Bergvall, an 18-year-old central midfielder, joined the north London side this summer after they agreed a fee with Djurgarden back in February.

He is considered a huge talent at Spurs and Ange Postecoglou has given him minutes in each of Tottenham’s opening three matches in the league.

The teenage midfielder believes that he has made rapid improvements in the past two months for the London club.

Bergvall, though, is aware that he needs to improve more and insists that he is adapting to the English game.

“Yes, it feels like I have taken very big steps these two months”, the Tottenham midfielder told Swedish outlet Aftonbladet about his progress at Spurs.

“That I get into it more and more and have been able to adapt more to the game that is played in the Premier League.”

Bergvall will be looking to become a more prominent member of Postecoglou’s side in the upcoming months of the season.

Real Betis president Angel Haro has admitted that the Spanish club have granted Tottenham Hotspur an option to buy midfielder Johnny Cardoso.

The Spanish side were desperate to land Giovani Lo Celso from Tottenham before the transfer window slammed shut.

They did manage to do a deal with Spurs for Lo Celso, but the Premier League club brought up Cardoso in the talks and agreed an option to sign him in the future.

The 22-year-old American midfielder is highly rated and Haro admits there are several sides that like him – but Spurs are now in the driving seat.

“Johnny is a player who is of interest not only to Tottenham, but to many other teams, who has great potential”, Haro was quoted as saying by Spanish daily Mundo Deportivo.

“And in this case, within the Gio operation, they asked us for an option to buy for a value that was important and interesting for us.

“And we did give them that option.”

Spurs’ option to buy Cardoso is set at €25m and is strictly time limited.

The Premier League side have a two-week window in June next year to trigger the option and if they fail to do so then it will expire.

Fixture: Newcastle United vs Tottenham Hotspur

Competition: Premier League

Kick-off: 13:30 UK time

Tottenham Hotspur have announced their side and substitutes to go up against Newcastle United in the Premier League this afternoon.

Ange Postecoglou takes his Spurs side to St James’ Park without new signing Dominic Solanke, with the club keen to be cautious on the striker’s return.

The visitors are also without Richarlison, who is injured and expected to miss the next few weeks.

Spurs thrashed Everton 4-0 on their last outing, but lost 4-0 on their last visit to St James’ Park.

Guglielmo Vicario is in goal for Tottenham today, who have a back four of Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero, Radu Dragusin and Destiny Udogie.

In midfield, Postecoglou picks Pape Matar Sarr and Yves Bissouma, while James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Wilson Odobert support Heung-Min Son.

The Spurs boss can shake things up if needed and his options include Timo Werner and Lucas Bergvall.

Tottenham Hotspur Team vs Newcastle United

Vicario, Porro, Romero, Dragusin, Udogie, Sarr, Bissouma, Maddison, Kulusevski, Son, Odobert

Substitutes: Forster, Spence, Davies, Devine, Gray, Bentancur, Bergvall, Johnson, Werner

Fixture: Newcastle United vs Tottenham Hotspur

Competition: Premier League

Kick-off: 13:30 UK time

Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe has picked his team to host Tottenham Hotspur at St James’ Park in the Premier League this afternoon.

The Magpies had a disappointing end to the summer transfer window as they failed to get any deals over the line on deadline day.

Howe was keen on another centre-back and a winger, but must now go with what he has got and is at least boosted by having Sandro Tonali again available for selection.

Newcastle come into the clash on the back of a penalty shootout win over Nottingham Forest in the EFL Cup.

Nick Pope slots in between the sticks for Newcastle, who have a back four of Tino Livramento, Emil Krafth, Lloyd Kelly and Dan Burn.

Midfield sees Newcastle boss Howe pick Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton, Longstaff, while Harvey Barnes and Anthony Gordon support Alexander Isak.

If Howe wants to introduce fresh faces then he can turn to the bench, where his options include Miguel Almiron and Sandro Tonali.

Newcastle United Team vs Tottenham Hotspur

Pope, Livramento, Krafth, Kelly, Burn, Guimaraes, Joelinton, Longstaff, Barnes, Gordon, Isak

Substitutes: Dubravka, Trippier, Tonali, Targett, Osula, Hall, J Murphy, A Murphy, Almiron