The Independent

The new Women's Super League marks the start of a new era for reigning champions Chelsea, with long-serving boss Emma Hayes having departed in summer to start a new adventure with the USA Women's team.

Last year they just about did enough to claim the title on goal difference ahead of Manchester City, while Arsenal will again hope to make it a three-horse race for the WSL title. Meanwhile Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham will hope to progress after further rebuilding this summer.

Crystal Palace were promoted to replace Bristol City in the top flight, while on a wider note, the league is now under the management and operation of a new organisation set up to lead women's football towards further growth and progression, with Nikki Doucet overseeing both the WSL and Championship in a new phase for the game.

Follow the live action below as Tottenham Hotspur face Everton today in the WSL:

Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou has defended the club’s summer transfer policy and insisted the decision to sign a number of teenagers will eventually bear fruit.

Spurs are in the middle of a difficult period after they suffered a 1-0 defeat at Bournemouth on Thursday night and also lost Ben Davies to a hamstring injury, which made it eight players unavailable.

Barely a fortnight on from a remarkable 4-0 victory at Manchester City, Postecoglou received abuse from a section of Tottenham’s travelling support on the south coast and his task does not get any easier, with London rivals Chelsea set to visit on Sunday.

Chelsea are already eight points clear of Spurs, who signed Dominic Solanke for £65million in the summer, but spent the rest of their budget on teenage prospects in Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall and Wilson Odobert. Yang Min-hyuk, an 18-year-old from South Korea, will also join in January.

While Postecoglou has watched his depleted team lose three of their last six matches in all competitions and drop to 10th in the Premier League, he is positive the club’s long-term approach will pay off.

“We needed to do that because it was a team that was coming towards the end of its cycle, and we were rebuilding not just the squad but the playing style, and you couldn’t replace experience with experience because that is not a rebuild,” Postecoglou said.

“It is still the right decision and I own them (transfers) because I believe they are the right decisions for this club. I have said numerous times, I make these decisions with the kind of background that I’m going to be here for a while to see this through.

“To be honest, if I was worried about my own existence, I would have fought tooth and nail to block Harry Kane leaving (for Bayern Munich) but it wasn’t the right decision for the club because he was in the last year of his contract. That is not what drives me.

“The decisions we made around signing young players are the right decisions for this club for where we are at right now, and they will bear fruit.”

Spurs produced a tired display at Bournemouth – after a bright start where Solanke could have put them ahead – and may have lost by a greater margin than one-goal in the end.

Postecoglou felt the frustration of the fans at full-time, but played down the need for support from the club board or supporters during a tough period of form.

He said: “I’m the person in charge. I’m the person that has set us off in this direction and I am the person who needs to fix it.

“I’m not hurting, I am determined and that’s all. I don’t want to say it is unacceptable because, like I said, it is what it is. I have lived in this world for long enough to know that when people aren’t happy, they’ll express their opinions and I am never going to hide.

“I am never going to shirk that responsibility, that’s fine. I will take it on board. Is it nice? No, because like I said last night I am not just a manager, I am a human being like everyone else and none of us like to hear those sorts of things, but it is what it is.

“It doesn’t disappoint me, it doesn’t frustrate me, it doesn’t make me angry. I am just as determined as ever to get it right, not because of that but because of my resolve to bring success to the football club.

“I don’t need support. I don’t worry about contracts, I don’t worry about support. I just want to make sure that what I set out to do I accomplish, and that is to bring success to this football club.”

Spurs will definitely be without Davies for the visit of Chelsea, but Cristian Romero (toe) could return.

PA

Teenage defender Dean Huijsen became AFC Bournemouth’s youngest Premier League goalscorer by heading his side to a 1-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur at the Vitality Stadium.

Andoni Iraola’s Cherries had upset title hopefuls Arsenal and Manchester City in two of their previous three fixtures on home soil.

Spain Under-21 international Huijsen, aged 19 years and 235 days, secured a further scalp for the south-coast club with a 17th-minute winner as inconsistent Spurs suffered another setback of a patchy season so far.

Bournemouth leapfrogged Ange Postecoglou’s visitors into ninth position following a deserved success which should have been more comfortable.

Ryan Christie struck the woodwork and the impressive hosts failed to capitalise on a host of chances, while toothless Tottenham created little going forward.

Inconsistent Spurs hammered champions Manchester City 4-0 in their previous away fixture but that was their only win in five games in all competitions ahead of the trip to Dorset.

Dominic Solanke was passed fit to face his former club after missing Sunday’s 1-1 draw at home to Fulham due to illness, with captain Son Heung-min dropping to the bench as part of three changes.

The north London club started in the ascendancy and, after the recalled Dejan Kulusevski shot straight at Cherries goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, Solanke fired wastefully over, having been released by stand-in skipper James Maddison.

Bournemouth looked lively on the counter-attack and edged ahead.

Spurs goalkeeper Fraser Forster initially produced a fine save to deny Evanilson following dithering from Radu Dragusin but, from the resultant inswinging corner taken by Marcus Tavernier, Huijsen, a summer signing from Juventus, arrived unmarked at the back post to nod home.

While Tottenham continued to dominate possession, the Cherries remained the greater threat.

Tavernier had the ball in the net 14 minutes after the opener but was clearly offside, before later seeing a close-range header from Milos Kerkez’s cross clawed away by Forster.

Despite Tottenham’s shortcomings, Postecoglou opted against changes at the break.

His team resumed on the front foot, albeit still looking susceptible on the break, with Justin Kluivert, who hit a hat-trick of penalties in Saturday’s 4-2 win at Wolves, coming close to doubling the Cherries’ lead.

Son replaced Pape Sarr in the 57th minute and immediately increased the tempo of Tottenham’s play.

The South Korea international finished on the rebound two minutes after his introduction following Kulusevski’s initial effort but was denied by an offside flag, before later slipping in Maddison, who curled narrowly wide.

Fellow substitute Pedro Porro tested Kepa with a thumping low drive, prior to Christie striking the base of the left post at the other end.

Tottenham survived a major scare 18 minutes from time when Evanilson’s close-range finish was disallowed for offside after Forster’s risky pass to Kulusevski was intercepted.

Bournemouth should have put the game beyond Spurs, with Tavernier and substitute Dango Ouattara each squandering excellent opportunities by firing over.

The misses ensured plenty of tension during six minutes of added time but mattered little in the end as Spurs could not muster a meaningful attempt to snatch a point.

Liveupdated

Bournemouth vs Tottenham LIVE: Premier League team news and line-ups as Spurs make Dominic Solanke decision

Just two points separate Bournemouth and Tottenham as Dominic Solanke returns to face his former club

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Bournemouth welcome Tottenham to the Vitality Stadium as both sides look to climb the Premier League table amid mixed results of late.

The hosts beat Wolves 4-2 in a frantic match last weekend to climb up to 13th ahead of the midweek fixtures, and Andoni Iraola’s side have surprised both fans and pundits alike with their quality at times this season.

Ange Postecoglou’s side laboured to a 1-1 draw with Fulham which took them to seventh ahead of the next round of fixtures, with the Australian once again coming in for criticism in some parts after his team followed a scintillating 4-0 win over Manchester City with another poor result.

And with just two points separating the two teams at kick-off, it promises to be an intriguing contest on the south coast that gives both sides the chance to improve their position. Follow all of the latest from the Vitality Stadium in our live blog below:

Son Heung-min rested for Bournemouth clash, says Postecoglou

Ange Postecoglou, speaking to Prime Video.

On Solanke’s return

“Good to have him back in. I’m sure Dom was looking forward to it and thankfully he has recovered from his illness and he’s ready to go. He will want to come back and show what he’s all about.”

On Gray’s first PL start

“Archie has played for us in midweek and he’s going really well. It will be a great test for him tonight and it’s great for him to make his debut.

On Son dropping to the bench

“It’s rotation, mate. We’ve got so many game. Deji had a rest and the weekend and it’s Sonny’s turn tonight.”

Jamie Braidwood5 December 2024 20:08

Which Spurs will turn up tonight?

Tottenham’s last five Premier League results make fascinating reading. Which Spurs will turn up tonight?

Jamie Braidwood5 December 2024 20:04

Fraser Forster is yet to keep a clean sheet in a Premier League away game for Tottenham, conceding 23 goals in eight appearances on the road.

The 36-year-old, who has replaced the injured Guglielmo Vicario, made a string of saves in the 1-1 draw at home to Fulham on the weekend and also impressed against Roma.

Jamie Braidwood5 December 2024 19:55

Bournemouth ready to bring ‘organised chaos’ against high-pressing Spurs

Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo has described his team’s style under Andoni Iraola as “organised chaos”.

The Cherries press high up the pitch but Iraola says Tottenham are the “best pressing team” in the Premier League.

“I would put them with the best teams. We need a strong start and we have to be ready,” Iraola tells Prime Video.

Jamie Braidwood5 December 2024 19:51

Happy Thursday?

Bournemouth have never lost a Premier League clash on a Thursday, winning one and drawing three.

However, Spurs have lost four of their past five Premier League matches on a Thursday, drawing the other.

Jamie Braidwood5 December 2024 19:35

Ange Postecoglou drops transfer hint over Tottenham’s January plans

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou says the club must make signings in January to strengthen their attacking options.

Postecoglou’s squad has been stretched thin by injuries ahead of a busy run of games and Spurs will travel to Bournemouth on Thursday night without several key players, although Dominic Solanke could be fit in time to face his former side as he recovers from illness.

Tottenham have been without Richarlison and Wilson Odobert for most of the season due to hamstring injuries and although Postecoglou’s side are the Premier League’s top scorers this season the Australian said he is in need of attacking reinforcements.

Ange Postecoglou drops transfer hint over Tottenham’s January plans

Spurs are the Premier League’s top scorers this season but Postecoglou said he needs more attacking options

Jamie Braidwood5 December 2024 19:15

Bournemouth vs Totteham team news and line-ups

Lewis Cook is only fit enough for the bench for Bournemouth, so Dean Huijsen starts ahead of Marcos Senesi and Antoine Semenyo returns from suspenion in their only two changes.

Bournemouth XI: Kepa; Smith, Zabarnyi, Huisen, Kerkez; Christie, Adams; Semenyo, Kluivert, Tavernier; Evanilson.

Jamie Braidwood5 December 2024 19:05

Bournemouth vs Totteham team news and line-ups

Dominic Solanke starts for Tottenham and Dejan Kulusevski returns to the line-up, in place of captain Son Heung-min. Archie Gray also starts at right-back, in place of Pedro Porro.

Tottenham XI: Forster; Gray, Dragusin, Davies, Udogie; Bissouma, Sarr, Maddison; Kulusevski, Solanke, Johnson

Jamie Braidwood5 December 2024 19:02

Ange Postecoglou insists it is premature to write off Son Heung-min

Ange Postecoglou believes it is premature to write off out-of-form Tottenham captain Son Heung-min.

Son has only scored four goals for his club this season and just one from open-play in his last 12 appearances for Spurs.

The South Korea international struggled with a hamstring issue earlier in the campaign and has cut a frustrated figure at times since his return, but Postecoglou backed the 32-year-old to return to his best ahead of Thursday’s Premier League trip to Bournemouth.

“What I do know is, from my own experience, the end comes pretty quickly. It’s not falling off a cliff, but you find with a lot of great players that all of a sudden it’s gone from bang to bang. It’s not a slow deterioration.

“I don’t see that in Sonny, I still think he’s got a hell of a lot of quality and from a physical standpoint, the way he looks after himself, I don’t see his abilities diminishing just due to the age factor at the moment. I don’t see that.”

Jamie Braidwood5 December 2024 18:55

Ange Postecoglou hits back at critics trying to ‘bring us down’ after Tottenham held

Ange Postecoglou rallied around his players after Tottenham produced a flat display in a 1-1 draw at home to Fulham to lose more ground in the Premier League.

Tottenham have dropped to 8th a week on from a superb 4-0 victory at Manchester City, but Postecoglou vowed to protect his players amid a growing list of absentees.

“It somehow again seems with this club that whatever it is that we do well is then used as a millstone to bring us down at every other opportunity,” he said.

“I guess from my perspective, as I keep saying, it’s really important that we don’t react to any of that and just stay focused.

“I just sometimes feel like, especially the players we’ve got at the moment, they’re just working really hard for this football club to try and progress to where we want to be.

“We’re in good shape, we’re still in good shape. We’re still in a decent position in the league. We’re still in the Carabao Cup, we’re in a decent position in Europe, so it’s about us maintaining our focus on continuing to develop.”

Jamie Braidwood5 December 2024 18:35

Bournemouth welcome Tottenham to the Vitality Stadium looking to build on a big away win at Wolves.

Andoni Iraola’s side enjoyed a strange outing at Molineux that saw Justin Kluivert strike thrice from the penalty spot in a 4-2 victory that leaves them eyeing the top half of the table.

Spurs, meanwhile, suffered a set back in a home draw against Fulham as they failed to build on such an encouraging performance against Manchester City.

With the chase for European places fierce in a competitive Premier League season, Ange Postecoglou will be keen to avoid another poor result as the London club travel south.

Here’s everything you need to know.

Bournemouth vs Tottenham is due to kick off at 8.15pm GMT on Thursday 5 December at the Vitality Stadium.

Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live via Amazon Prime Video.

If you want to stream major sporting events while you are travelling or watching from abroad you’ll need a VPN. Get the best VPN deals in the UK. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider.

Andoni Iraola confirmed that there are no new fitness concerns within the Bournemouth squad, with Antoine Semenyo back available after suspension. Lewis Cook has been able to train after a muscular problem but a cautious approach is likely to be taken.

Ange Postecoglou is hopeful that he may be able to welcome back Dominic Solanke after the striker missed the weekend fixture with Fulham due to illness. Archie Gray should also be available having recovered from a knock, but Guglielmo Vicario (ankle), Micky van de Ven (hamstring), Cristian Romero (toe), Rodrigo Bentancur (suspended), Wilson Odobert (hamstring), Micky Moore (virus) and Richarlison (hamstring) remain out.

Bournemouth XI: Kepa; Smith, Zabarnyi, Senesi, Kerkez; Christie, Adams; Semenyo, Kluivert, Tavernier; Evanilson.

Tottenham XI: Forster; Porro, Dragusin, Davies, Udogie; Bissouma, Sarr; Johnson, Kulusevski, Son; Solanke.

Bournemouth win 7/4

Draw 3/1

Tottenham win 6/4

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The two most successful sides in FA Cup history will meet in the third round after Arsenal were drawn to host Manchester United.

The 14-time champions will welcome Ruben Amorim’s side, who have one fewer competition crown after lifting the trophy last season, to the Emirates Stadium in January in the pick of the all-Premier League ties.

Tamworth, one of only two non-league representatives remaining, have secured a glamour fixture with Tottenham Hotspur set to come to the Lamb Ground in Staffordshire. Fellow National League club Dagenham & Redbridge will make the short trip to Millwall.

Elsewhere, struggling Manchester City also face local opposition in the form of Salford City, owned by Gary Neville and the rest of Manchester United’s Class of ’92.

Liverpool host Accrington Stanley and Chelsea take on Morecambe, while Newcastle face a fixture against third-round debutants Bromley.

Other ties of intrigue include Russell Martin facing former club Swansea with Southampton, and an all-Yorkshire affair between Harrogate Town and Leeds United at Elland Road.

Ties will be played over the weekend of 10-13 January.

Southampton v Swansea City

Arsenal v Manchester United

Exeter City v Oxford United

Leyton Orient v Derby County

Reading v Burnley

Aston Villa v West Ham United

Norwich City v Brighton & Hove Albion

Manchester City v Salford City

Millwall v Dagenham and Redbridge

Liverpool v Accrington Stanley

Bristol City v Wolverhampton Wanderers

Preston North End v Charlton Athletic

Chelsea v Morecambe

Middlesbrough v Blackburn Rovers

Bournemouth v West Bromwich Albion

Mansfield Town v Wigan Athletic

Tamworth v Tottenham Hotspur

Hull City v Doncaster Rovers

Sunderland v Stoke City

Leicester City v Queens Park Rangers

Brentford v Plymouth Argyle

Coventry City v Sheffield Wednesday

Newcastle United v Bromley

Everton v Peterborough United

Wycombe Wanderers v Portsmouth

Birmingham City v Lincoln City

Leeds United v Harrogate Town

Nottingham Forest v Luton Town

Sheffield United v Cardiff City

Ipswich Town v Bristol Rovers

Fulham v Watford

Crystal Palace v Stockport County

Follow live coverage as Tottenham face Fulham today in the Premier League.

Spurs will hope to bounce off a stunning 4-0 win at Manchester City, despite coming unstuck midweek in Europe against Roma.

The result saw the Australian coach pushed on his approach once more, which was met with a defiant response: “Look, I don’t know how many ways I can say this. “There’s plenty of room for pragmatism in walks of life and in football as well. But I’m just not interested in it. I don’t know why I need to change my approach to be like everyone else wants me to be.”

Ange Postecoglou’s side meet Marco Silva’s Whites, who will be determined to respond to a setback at home to Wolves last time out.

Follow all the latest updates and goals from Tottenham Hotspur Stadium below:

Tottenham’s inconsistent form continued after Mats Hummels’ stoppage-time goal ensured they were held to a 2-2 draw at home to Claudio Ranieri’s Roma in the Europa League.

Spurs had looked on course to back up Saturday’s 4-0 thrashing of Manchester City with a hard-fought victory after captain Son Heung Min and Brennan Johnson struck in the first half to cancel out Evan N’Dicka’s goal.

Ange Postecoglou watched his team squander a number of chances to set up a nervy finale and not long after Fraser Forster, who deputised for the first time since Guglielmo Vicario’s ankle surgery, had produced a superb save to deny Gianluca Mancini, the visitors levelled.

Postecoglou had made half a dozen changes in each of Spurs’ previous four Europa League matches, but went stronger with only four from the win at Man City.

All eyes were on Forster and yet the immediate action occurred in Roma’s penalty area as Pape Sarr won a spot-kick in the third minute after being caught by Hummels.

Referee Glenn Nyberg eventually pointed to the spot after assistance from VAR and Son made no mistake for only his fourth goal of the season.

It failed to act as a catalyst for the hosts, however, as Roma responded strongly with Paulo Dybala being denied by Forster.

Tottenham’s sloppiness in possession continued and they were punished in the 20th minute when Dybala produced a fine ball into the area for N’Dicka to flick home via the crossbar.

Ranieri celebrated again two minutes later, but Stephan El Shaarawy’s volley into the bottom corner was ruled out for offside by VAR.

It remained end-to-end as Postecoglou’s side finally woke up with Roma left-back Angelino forced make a superb block on the line from Johnson before Dominic Solanke’s follow-up was saved by Mile Svilar.

Back down the other end and Forster got down well to thwart Dybala’s latest effort before Spurs did make their next opportunity count.

Sarr was involved again as he sent Dejan Kulusevski away down the left and the in-form attacker patiently waited to cut back for Johnson, who steered into the bottom corner after 33 minutes.

Tottenham nearly grabbed another two minutes later when Kulusevski bundled into the area and hit the post before Son blazed over the rebound.

Son had another shot tipped wide by Svilar before half-time and after Johnson fired over at the start of the second period, Roma regained the ascendancy.

Manu Kone and Artem Dovbyk both had efforts ruled out for offside in quick succession before Angelino’s superb volley from Zeki Celik’s cross deflected off Pedro Porro and onto the crossbar.

It was another let-off for Spurs, who did react with a marauding Ben Davies run able to win a free-kick, which Porro clipped onto the crossbar.

Postecoglou turned to his bench with 21 minutes left as Yves Bissouma and James Maddison entered the fray.

Maddison almost immediately helped put the game to bed when he sent Solanke away, but his powerful strike was pushed over by Svilar.

An even better chance was created for Solanke with 10 minutes left, but he headed against the crossbar after a fine Archie Gray centre.

It looked like Tottenham had survived when Forster made a superb save to deny Mancini’s volley at the start of five minutes of stoppage-time, but Hummels fired home from Angelino’s cross not long after to ensure the points were shared.

In France, meanwhile, Philippe Clement again found sanctuary in Europe as Rangers romped to a remarkable 4-1 win over Nice in France.

Amid domestic struggles which have piled pressure on the Belgian boss, his side again came up with the goods this season in the Europa League.

The home side had an early penalty award overturned and the Ibrox side took advantage with goals from winger Vaclav Cerny, midfielder Mohamed Diomande and striker Hamza Igamane before the break.

The 22-year-old Moroccan, making his first European start, grabbed his second in the 54th minute as the home side’s dismal defensive display deteriorated before Badredine Bouanani reduced the deficit in the 83rd minute.

Rangers moved on to 10 points from five fixtures and the victory was a real boost to chances of a top-eight finish.

PA

After producing perhaps their best performance under Ange Postecoglou, Tottenham will hope to keep their momentum rolling as they host Roma in the Europa League.

The 4-0 thrashing of Manchester City represented a much-needed Premier League boost for Spurs after an up-and-down period.

They are well placed in Europe despite a young side suffering defeat at Galatasaray in their last outing, with three wins from three games before that reverse leaving them seventh in the table.

Roma, meanwhile, have won just once in the competition amid a difficult start to the campaign. Claudio Ranieri has been tempted out of retirement in hopes that the vastly experienced manager can instigate a turnaround.

Here’s everything you need to know.

Tottenham vs Roma is due to kick off at 8pm GMT on Thursday 28 November at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.

Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on TNT Sports 1, with coverage from 7.45pm GMT. Subscribers can stream via discovery+.

If you want to stream major sporting events while you are travelling or watching from abroad you’ll need a VPN. Get the best VPN deals in the UK. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider.

Spurs were dealt a significant injury blow with Guglielmo Vicario set for a long spell on the sidelines after undergoing surgery on a broken ankle. Fraser Forster will deputise in goal, while Radu Dragusin and Ben Davies are likely to continue in central defence with no Micky van de Ven or Cristian Romero. Will Lankshear is suspended after the youngster was sent off against Galatasaray but Rodrigo Bentancur is available despite his domestic suspension.

Lorenzo Pellegrini returned to the Roma side in Claudio Ranieri’s first game in charge, a 1-0 defeat to Napoli in Serie A. Paulo Dybala appeared off the bench and could start.

Tottenham XI: Forster; Porro, Dragusin, Davies, Gray; Sarr, Bentancur, Bergvall; Johnson, Solanke, Werner.

Roma XI: Svilar; Celik, Mancini, Hummels, Angelino; Soule, Baldanzi, Cristante, Zalewski; Dybala, Dovbyk.

Tottenham win 3/4

Draw 10/3

Roma win 57/17

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Former Tottenham captain Hugo Lloris is convinced Ange Postecoglou can end his old team’s trophy drought, but has preached patience from both the club and its supporters.

Spurs boss Postecoglou masterminded the best victory of his tenure on Saturday with a remarkable 4-0 win away to Premier League champions Manchester City.

The Etihad Stadium thrashing occurred a fortnight on from a shock home loss to Ipswich, which sparked murmurs of discontent amongst a fanbase desperate for silverware and eager for consistency after up-and-down results this term.

Lloris spent 12 seasons at Tottenham before his departure last year and captained the club in three unsuccessful finals, but feels the current crop can go one better and win a first trophy since 2008.

“I spent six months in the changing room, I was not even involved but I could enjoy the football vision of Ange and I still believe and I am still convinced you have to stick with this way and trust the process,” Lloris told the PA news agency.

“The team and club is in a good position, they have talented players, different ages, different experiences but I still believe they can achieve something and win something.

“Part of the football world today, you have to deal with this expectation and I just hope and you don’t want to see the team affected by these things or the club affected.

“They have to be strong and stay together and make (as) one in the club. And also I would say the fans need to trust the process because what we see, we enjoy.

“That is the football we want to see them playing and it’s not because of one bad result or two bad results that we need to question everything. You have to look about medium to long-term because I believe they can do it.”

Across 447 appearances for Tottenham, Lloris always preferred to look forward rather than back.

However, the World Cup winner has spent much of the last year being forced to reminisce for his new autobiography titled ‘Earning My Spurs’ and published on November 7.

While Lloris never planned a book, journalist Vincent Duluc twisted the goalkeeper’s arm in 2023 and 10 sessions later the result is a detailed look at his whole life.

From his early years at Nice and Lyon to his record-breaking spell with France, the Quercus-published ‘Earning My Spurs’ covers a wide range of topics and extracts recently made headlines in England.

Lloris’ autobiography revealed how a luxury watch to the whole Spurs squad from chairman Daniel Levy with the engraving of ‘finalist’ before the Champions League final stunned him.

But the 37-year-old has not experienced any pushback for any of the content in a searingly-honest memoir.

“No, but there was a lot of noise about the Champions League episode,” Lloris said.

“To be honest, there is nothing bad about that, especially because I have so much respect for the club and also for Daniel Levy but at that time it was a bit weird.

“The only thing I meant is the club never used to be in that position and probably we didn’t do things in the right way. It’s as simple as that.”

Nevertheless, Lloris’ fondness for Tottenham shows in a book which not only offers praise for his successor in goal Guglielmo Vicario but detailed gratitude to Levy for “the sort of goodbye I’d dreamed of”, in reference to his farewell presentation on December 31 against Bournemouth.

When Lloris signed for Spurs in 2012, the club had not yet built its 62,850-seater stadium and only qualified once for Europe’s elite competition during the previous 50 years.

Lloris, who joined MLS side Los Angeles FC after leaving the Premier League, reflected: “I gave 12 years of my career to the club and I am proud of it, you know?

“And today I just support the club, I love the club and I just want to wish them and see them succeeding.

“I hope it will come but I am also proud because I was part of the group of players that make the club evolution. When I signed for the club and when I left, it’s a totally different club.

“Step by step we become even more competitive and put the club in a better position. I think today the club has everything and is strong enough to succeed.”