Football London

Mathys Tel admits he is spending all the time he can learning from Son Heung-min and believes that it's time to write his own story at Tottenham.

Spurs spent £30million to sign the 20-year-old permanently from Bayern Munich after a loan spell in north London during the second half of last season. It was a tough introduction to Premier League life for Tel as he was thrown into the team during an injury crisis and had to lead the line up front in such a fast and physical competition despite having spent much of his young career as a winger.

He managed five goal involvements in 20 appearances in all competitions and put in some important displays in the knockout stages of Tottenham's Europa League-winning run.

Thomas Frank wanted to work with the France U21 international and gave the green light to a permanent move this summer from the Bavarian giants.

There was a scare though on Tuesday out in Hong Kong during an open training session in front of 10,000 Spurs fans at the Kai Tak Stadium. The Frenchman had embarked on a few surging runs during an 11-vs-11 training match and then while on one of those dribbles he picked up a sore looking knock, seemingly to his knee.

That injury drew real concern from the group as all of the players and staff gathered around the 20-year-old in a circle as he lay on the floor and it took some time before he got up, heavily limping.

Thankfully Tel appeared to run it off and later told football.london "I'm fine" when asked about the collision as he looked down at his leg.

Other than scaring everyone during training, the former Bayern man has been soaking up everything he can learn from a certain player during the sessions.

"I’m talking all the time with Sonny. He has more experience than me. I just want to learn and make sure that I become better every day. He helps me every day," he said. "Sonny is a legend. Everybody knows him. I’m very happy to work with him."

The Frenchman then explained just how excited he is to have made his permanent move to Tottenham.

"I’m very happy about it. It is a big club. It’s time to write this story at a club like this. I’m very happy to be here and try to have more success with the club," he said.

"It was a project [I had in mind when I first joined]. I just had six months here and my time was great. Those first six months with Tottenham helped me on and off the pitch. I appreciated my time so that’s why I wanted to stay and I’m very happy."

Tel arrived back later into the pre-season work under Frank this month, having been given time off after the European U21 Championships semi-finals with France alongside Spurs team-mate Wilson Odobert, while another Tottenham team-mate Archie Gray won the competition with England. On his return, Tel's conversations with his new head coach are yet to include whether he will play out on the left or through the middle under the Dane.

"I don’t talk about position. Just the main thing is collective, every player is important. We will see what happens. I just need to be ready and prepare myself to play," he said.

"This pre-season is about intensity, mentality and physicality too. This season we belong. We have a lot of big games, Champions League, Premier League and the cups. We need to be ready in the head and physically."

So what are Tel's personal and team ambitions this season?

"I just want a lot of goals and assists. If we can take every trophy," he said. "For me, Tottenham can win everything. Like I said, it’s a big club. Every competition we play in we will play with a lot of energy and we will prepare for the game."

Spurs return to the Champions League this season and the young Frenchman believes the club should be in the competition every season.

"I played two years ago [in the Champions League] and last year again. It’s a big competition. I think it’s the best competition in Europe and the world. When you play this competition, you need to be ready and make sure that you just go far in this competition," he said.

"We want to play every year in the Champions League. Like I said, we are a big club. We can play in this competition."

Tottenham Hotspur still have over three weeks to make changes to their squad for the start of the Premier League season, which begins on Saturday, August 16 at home to newly-promoted Burnley.

The biggest alteration of all came before pre-season began as Spurs opted to sack Ange Postecoglou and make their latest managerial change. Thomas Frank arrived in his place, famed for his ushering of Brentford from the Championship to top-flight security.

The new manager's first signings have been £55m attacker Mohammed Kudus from rivals West Ham United and Kota Takai, a £5m defensive prospect from Kawasaki Frontale.

Attacker Mathys Tel and defender Kevin Danso have also signed permanently following their winter 2024 loans from Bayern Munich and RC Lens respectively, as has 18-year-old defender Luka Vuskovic following a 2023 agreement made with Hajduk Split.

Frank would also have liked Morgan Gibbs-White - a star he has long admired - to join his ranks, except the attacking midfielder has now committed himself to Nottingham Forest by signing a new contract following a tense saga. This had been the only hint thus far towards an area of the team Frank is hoping to strengthen.

"That is something I would like to keep very private of course," the new manager answered a question about Spurs' intentions in the market on Tuesday. "We of course are out there in the market and we're aware where we maybe want to strengthen the squad in general.

"I'm happy with the squad and we've already done a top signing in Mohammed Kudus that is coming in and showing us his quality already. We've got a squad where there is a lot of talent in and quality but of course we're looking."

But Spurs need not let the failed attempt to sign Gibbs-White define their summer. Kudus' recent arrival the club means they have a plethora of attacking talent.

Admittedly, there is not as much pressure to make a signing in time for the opening day of the Premier League as perhaps first thought, and instead the club can focus on quality additions before the end of the summer window on September 1.

In football.london's dream line-up, Brennan Johnson and James Maddison join Kudus in forming a three-pronged support of singular striker Dominic Solanke as part of a 4-2-3-1 formation, which Frank has utilised in all his friendlies so far.

Maddison and Solanke will hopefully have the opportunity to build up fitness in the final summer match vs Bayern Munich plus the UEFA Super Cup showdown vs Paris Saint-Germain, as both have been out of the Asian tour through injury.

The money not immediately spent to sign an attacking midfielder could instead by placed into one of a more defensive mindset to compliment the box-to-box Archie Gray.

Palhinha, the Portuguese internationally formerly of Fulham and currently with Bayern Munich, is the latest to be linked with a move to Spurs in that role. In his brief Premier League stint he earned plenty of plaudits but in Germany has been judged critically.

At 30 years of age, many may feel Palhinha should only be signed for a certain level of finance, but if Spurs have learned any lessons from their rivals it is that a team can't function without a defensive midfielder. Ryan Gravenberch for Liverpool, Rodri for Manchester City and Moises Caicedo for Chelsea - three players who have elevated their respective clubs to silverware and top-four finishes.

Spurs are reportedly willing to pay a fee in the region of £45m according to journalist Sebastien Vidal. To end, football.london's dream opening day XI can add one more new arrival to truly operate at full strength.

Frank's side are reportedly weighing up a return to January target Marc Guehi as the Crystal Palace central defender now has less than 12 months on his current contract. On winter deadline day Spurs saw a £70m offer turned away.

The Eagles may have made it clear they do not wish to lose such an integral figure, however Guehi's contract us set to expire in 2026, as things stand at least, meaning there is the chance of a cut-price deal tempting them into selling in the upcoming weeks.

The England international would slot perfectly into a back four partnering captain Cristian Romero in the centre and with Pedro Porro and Micky van de Ven operating in wide positions. In net, Guglielmo Vicario keeps his place as Frank's first-choice.

Spurs Dream XI for Premier League opener vs Burnley

Guglielmo Vicario; Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero, Marc Guehi, Micky van de Ven; Archie Gray, Palhinha; Mohammed Kudus, James Maddison, Brennan Johnson; Dominic Solanke

Odegaard on playing a NLD in pre-season

I love it and I think we all do. We're all excited to play in front of so many supporters. We've really felt the love and connection here. It's a good thing we get a proper test and it means a little bit more in a derby.

Arteta on potential Gyokeres debut/injury news

He has only done today's session and yesterday very little. We're going to assess tonight how he is. If the medial staff are please with his conditions it is possible.

With the rest everybody is going to be ok apart from big Gabi who is still out and probably Riccy it's probably going to be a bit too early.

What we spotted in open training

Open training has just finished and it proved to be very popular indeed.

Fans were treated to a Viktor Gyokeres wonder goal and there was also a moment to forget for Bukayo Saka.

Click here for four things we spotted at the Kai Tak Stadium.

Arsenal vs Newcastle talking points

Arsenal triumphed in their last game after beating Newcastle United 3-2.

It was a game to remember for Max Dowman as he won the decisive penalty that Martin Odegaard converted in the closing minutes of the contest.

Click here for our talking points from the match.

Winners and losers from Singapore

Now that Arsenal have finished their time in Singapore, we have decided to take a look at the winners and losers from their games against AC Milan and Newcastle United.

Click here.

Dream Arsenal XI vs Tottenham

Viktor Gyokeres is the man of the moment right now following his move to Arsenal from Sporting CP.

The 27-year-old could potentially make his Arsenal debut in the North London Derby and he will be keen to mark it with a goal.

So what exactly would Mikel Arteta's dream XI be?

Click here.

Welcome

Hello and welcome to coverage of Mikel Arteta's Arsenal press conference ahead of Thursday's North London Derby against Tottenham Hotspur.

The Gunners are now in Hong Kong for the final few days of their summer tour after spending just over a week in Singapore for their matches against AC Milan and Newcastle United.

Arteta will be quizzed in his pre-match press conference on Viktor Gyokeres and a potential debut for the Swede in tomorrow's game, injury news and so much more.

Stay tuned for updates.

Josh Keeley believes the Tottenham players have already shown they want to play for Thomas Frank this season and the goalkeeper has tipped Mason Melia to do "very, very well" when he arrives in January.

Keeley joined Luton Town this month after three years at Spurs having arrived as a youngster from St Patrick's Athletic back in 2022. The move to the Hatters came in a £1million deal with the north London club retaining a sell-on clause because they believe that the 22-year-old could yet reach a Premier League level.

However, the path for him at Tottenham was blocked by the trio of Guglielmo Vicario, Antonin Kinsky and academy product Brandon Austin, all with long-term contracts and Premier League experience. Keeley arrived just too late to become a club-trained homegrown player, which meant it was more difficult for him to be registered in the club's squads, particularly their European one.

So when it came to contract talks to remain at Spurs this year it was always the case that those conversations would reflect his position as fourth choice goalkeeper despite a Republic of Ireland international call-up and the potential shown during his loan at Leyton Orient especially, where he registered 16 clean sheets as the O's reached the League One play-offs and he drew praise from Pep Guardiola for his FA Cup performance against Manchester City.

When a contract could not be agreed, in swooped Luton ahead of a string of clubs and Keeley made the switch to a team that was only in the Premier League two years ago.

And of course who would his first match as a Luton player be against? Fate would bring Tottenham to Kenilworth Road last weekend for a pre-season friendly and Keeley was named man of the match in an otherwise forgettable goalless draw.

"It doesn’t happen very often! I knew when I joined that we had them a week later, but it was good. It was a good game. I got to see all the boys at the end which was good. It was kind of a quick turnaround for me during the week, so I didn’t get to say goodbye to everyone, but yeah I got to [after the game] and that was important.," said the goalkeeper.

"I think that is the life of the footballer. It is very unforgiving. At one point you could be at the bottom of the country and then in the next breath you’re in a different country. You just kind of have to accept these things and get yourself around that you could end up anywhere.

"Luckily with every loan I have been on I’ve actually been around London and obviously this one is a permanent move. I am still quite close to [Tottenham] and I have made a lot of friends at the club and still very close to the boys."

It is a strange situation that Keeley has far more match experience than 26-year-old Austin, but such are the quirks of being homegrown the Spurs academy product has been part of the fabric of the club for years, made his Premier League debut finally last season and has a long-term contract. Many believe that had Keeley arrived a year earlier and become homegrown within UEFA rules then he would likely have made his debut for the club rather than never playing a senior game.

So does the Irishman believe not being homegrown affected his Spurs career?

"Maybe a little bit, I think so, but these are things, obviously a lot of things go against you in football, this is one of them but things happen for a reason at the end of the day," he said. "I am very close with a lot of people at the club, so you never know [what the future holds].

Before his departure, Keeley got to see what life was like in the early weeks of the Frank era and he could see a squad wanting to do well for the Dane.

"I trained with the team for the whole two weeks when I was there and the boys look like they want to play for him," said the stopper. "It looks like a very exciting year and the foreseeable future for Thomas Frank and the rest of the squad. I wish them all the best of luck and I think they’ll do really well."

One thing Keeley will take away from his three years at Tottenham was the senior goalkeepers he worked with and learned from in the shape of Vicario and previously World Cup winner Hugo Lloris, who is now at LAFC in Major League Soccer, as well as former England international Fraser Forster.

"I mean there are little things you take from obviously Vicario, Hugo and Fraser as well, he is a very experienced goalie and Dean [Brill, former Spurs academy coach and now first team assistant goalkeeper coach] has played in the game an awful long time.

"Then there is Fabio [Otte, Spurs new goalkeeper coach] who has just come in, he is a top, top goalie coach and won many trophies at his previous clubs. You always take little bits from people and try to engrain them into myself to take on further in my career."

Despite Keeley's exit, the St Pat's connection to Tottenham will be restored in January when highly-rated young striker Mason Melia officially makes the move across to the north London club after his 18th birthday. Despite still being 17, Melia has played 81 times for the Irish side, scoring 17 times and registering six assists. He notched his first European goal and assist during a Europa League qualifying match at Lithuanian side Hegelmann this month.

Keeley is predicting big things for the teenager once he settles into life at the Premier League club.

"I mean he is a young lad, who has played a lot of senior games at the minute and he is playing constantly for St Pats. I think him coming over, signing for Spurs and getting to know all the boys is only going to help him progress," said the keeper. "He is going to do very, very well."

Keeley is hoping to do very, very well at Luton and it was the club's location and ambition that helped them grab his signature ahead of others this summer despite now being a League One side following their back-to-back relegations.

"I mean I’ve been around London quite a lot on my loan spells [at Barnet and Orient] and because I have got some family in London as well, I think it’s important to stay close and connected," he said. "I spoke with Dean Brill, he played here as well and he sold it to me. He told me it was a great club and the people here are very good people.

"I think the club has very high expectations. Being a Premier League club [before], we have got every aim of getting promoted to the Championship first and then after that we can worry about going up again. This season is important. It starts now, everyone is looking forward to it and hopefully we can push for promotion."

He added about the Hatters' Kenilworth Road home: "I have heard a lot of things over the last couple of years that it is a bit of a mad place to come! My mates always used to say to me, because a few of them support Premier League teams, they have Luton away next week and they’d all say they’re not looking forward to it, so it can definitely be a fortress. It can be a place where people will struggle to come and get points from, so hopefully we can make it that way.”

The prediction is that Keeley will eventually become a Premier League goalkeeper and that is why Spurs were insistent on that sell-on clause, even if there is no buy-back in the deal. For Keeley, the top flight is the aim after getting a taste of what life around it is like but never really taking a proper bite.

"I think being in the club for three years was amazing for me. Obviously I got a taste of being around the first team and what is is like to play in the Premier League," he said. "I used to train with the boys all week, so I know and I have got a gist of what it is like. Hopefully in the foreseeable I get myself back there."

Viktor Gyokeres is set to make his Arsenal bow in the North London Derby.

It will not be his competitive debut - if you can class any North London Derby as non-competitive - given it is a pre-season friendly but he is sure to get a big welcome.

Gyokeres is the striker Arsenal fans have been crying out for for some time, to solve their issues in front of goal and take them from perennial runners-up to Premier League champions.

The Swede will get a warm welcome from the Arsenal supporters in Hong Kong, having already received a huge ovation when introduced to the crowd in Singapore ahead of the game with Newcastle United on Sunday.

But if he is under any illusions as to what awaits in the Premier League, he is sure to get a taste of it against Spurs, not only given the rivalry between the two sides, but if a certain player comes up against him.

Gyokeres has only been training with his new teammates for a day so far, so it remains to be seen whether he starts to game at the Kai Tak Stadium or whether he comes on at half-time or in the second half of the contest.

Tottenham have so far been using different XIs in each half of matches as new head coach Thomas Frank takes a look at his players in action and a certain Spurs star is sure to give Gyokeres a different kind of welcome, should he be on the pitch at the same time.

Cristian Romero is known for his no-nonsense approach at centre-back. The World Cup winner is a physical defender, throwing himself into challenges and making sure his opponents know he is there.

He is not afraid of the dirty work, he will not stand on ceremony for anyone and will slide into challenges whether he knows he can get the ball or not. Gyokeres will know he is in a game should he come up against Romero on Thursday afternoon and will learn first-hand what life is going to be like in England.

If Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta could get a glimpse of the Spurs teamsheet before they are due to be handed in, he might be well served to keep his new striker out of the firing line when Romero is on the pitch.

What is for certain is that Tottenham supporters will cheer from the rafters the first sliding tackle Romero makes on Gyokeres, whether he wins the ball or not.

Tottenham Hotspur have been put on red alert after it was claimed on Tuesday that Harry Kane is making plans to return to the Premier League.

Kane moved to Bayern Munich in the summer of 2023 and after missing out on the Bundesliga in his first season in Bavaria, he managed to complete his dream in the 2024/25 season. Heading into the new campaign, the England captain is preparing for further glory in Germany and potentially more silverware to add to the collection ahead of the World Cup in the United States.

While Kane is not planning on leaving Munich this summer, The Telegraph understands that 2026 could be a big year for the forward who will be 33 by then. They claim that Kane could seek a return back to the Premier League after the World Cup which will undoubtedly alert Spurs fans.

After Kane left Tottenham, chairman Daniel Levy insisted that there is a buy back clause in the deal that saw the talisman leave. How exactly that works is unclear but one school of thought is that Spurs would have first refusal to sign the striker.

There is also believed to be a release clause in play for Kane to activate in January. It is claimed that should he activate that clause this winter, Bayern would be legally obligated to sell the forward for £54m.

As for whether Tottenham would be interested in signing Kane again, the answer is most likely to be yes. The striker has scored 85 goals in 96 appearances for Bayern and is showing no signs of slowing down.

A return to the Premier League, whether with Tottenham or not, could be on Kane's radar sooner rather than later. The forward is currently just 47 goals behind Alan Shearer's record for all-time goalscorer in the division.

Realistically, Kane would need at least two full seasons in the Premier League to set that record and thus a move would need to be completed next summer to ensure he could have enough games in him to beat Shearer's figure of 260.

Tottenham held an open training session on Tuesday in front of 10,000 fans at the Kai Tak Stadium in Hong Kong as they continue their preparations ahead of the first ever north London derby outside of the UK.

Spurs and Arsenal will come up against each other on Thursday and new head coach Thomas Frank continued to get his methods across to his players with their latest training session, this time in front of thousands of supporters at the stadium where they will take on the Gunners.

The Dane has a big squad to work with although certain departments within it are low on numbers due to injuries with players left back at Hotspur Way to recover or rehabilitate.

Our Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold is in Hong Kong and he was at the Kai Tak Stadium, which had its roof covered, to watch the squad being put through their paces. Here are the things he spotted going on as the north London club worked ahead of their first summer tour game.

Who missed out

If you missed it, Destiny Udogie, Kota Takai and Manor Solomon remained at Hotspur Way for treatment, alongside Radu Dragusin, Dejan Kulusevski and Bryan Gil, who are continuing their rehabilitation. Mikey Moore, Alfie Devine and Dane Scarlett were all granted permission not to travel in order to explore potential opportunities for loan moves.

In Hong Kong, Dominic Solanke, who had a minor ankle injury which meant he missed out on the weekend's action at Luton, was not involved in the session, only emerging towards the end in trainers in order to take part in the signing session for some of the fans present.

Kevin Danso did some individual work during the session having come off alone on the hour mark on Saturday in the goalless draw at Luton. Rodrigo Bentancur, who was ill at the weekend, was back and involved.

What they did

After their warm-ups, the squad went through some passing drills and rondos. They were then put through some three-quarter pitch runs back and forth before the players took part in a 11 vs 11 half-pitch training game after that with two sides that involved four quarters of football.

There were little team talks beforehand as well with two members of the previous four-strong leadership group in each side. Cristian Romero and Guglielmo Vicario were in one team with Son Heung-min and James Maddison in the other.

After that there was a penalty shoot-out that ended up bearing little relation to a normal shoot-out and seemed to turn into spot kick practice but there was plenty to see from the session.

Who was on each side

The two sides had a good blend of experience and youth and all eyes will be on whether one of them is the team that starts against Arsenal and the other starts against Newcastle in Seoul at the weekend, or whether Frank will blend them into his strongest team. The latter seems more likely when you see the spread of some of the names involved.

The first team contained Vicario; Abbott, Van de Van, Romero, Spence, Bissouma, Sarr; Johnson, Bergvall, Odobert and Richarlison. It's worth noting that Bergvall was in the more advanced number 10 role for periods rather than Sarr who played there against Wycombe.

The other team featured Kinsky; Porro, Vuskovic, Davies, Donley; Gray, Bentancur; Kudus, Maddison, Son and Tel.

There was no Solanke or Danso, as mentioned above, while 16-year-old centre-back Jun'ai Byfield stood behind one of the goals ready to come in if needed and helped get the ball quickly back into play. Yang Min-hyeok and Will Lankshear were both at the other end of the pitch going through shooting drills of their own with Brandon Austin and Luca Gunter.

Porro and Tel concerns

Both teams wanted to win the game and there were some flashes of skill and some strong tackles going in. The latter was on display when Djed Spence caught Pedro Porro late after the Spaniard had passed the ball and left his fellow full-back writhing on the floor in agony for a while.

Porro got up and carried on but did look to have the slightest of limps later as he was walking out of the stadium on to the team coach.

The next person to have a training session scare was Mathys Tel. The Frenchman embarked on a few surging runs and during one of those he picked up a sore looking knock, seemingly to his knee.

That injury drew real concern from the group as everyone gathered around the 20-year-old in a circle as he lay on the floor and it took some time before he got up, heavily limping. Thankfully Tel appeared to run it off and later seemed fine when leaving the ground.

Penalties

The game ended in a goalless stalemate despite some promising attacking moves and efforts around the two goals, with some particularly close ones from Richarlison, and that meant it was time for a penalty shoot-out with Austin coming over to alternate with Vicario in goal.

The first three penalties from Maddison, Johnson and Porro were all saved by the keepers before Romero stroked a calm spot kick past Austin. Tel then also scored his penalty before Richarlison beat Vicario.

The two teams then came in for a chat with Frank and the coaches before some of the players returned to a shootout with Austin in goal for all the penalties the first batch.

Bissouma beat Austin twice and celebrated on each occasion, getting Austin riled up with the keeper booting the ball back near him at one point.

The goalkeeper did save from Bentancur, was beaten by Sarr before Porro sent his spot kick against the right-hand post. Eighteen-year-old Luka Vuskovic powered home his effort before Gunter had a go between the sticks only to be beaten by both Spence and Bergvall.

Son's waving

After the session the Tottenham players walked around the pitch waving to the fans with Son the most popular man on display on his home continent.

The Spurs captain was behind the main group so got his own walk around, applauding and waving to the 10,000 supporters before signing items for some of them.

The future remains uncertain for the South Korean star at Tottenham and Frank's earlier press conference did nothing to change that. Some local fans were left wondering whether they might be seeing one of the last occasions of Son in a Spurs shirt.

Tottenham look set to face a double Rodyrgo transfer issue even if the Real Madrid star was formally pursued. The Brazil international looks set to leave the Spanish capital with new head coach Xabi Alonso favouring other attackers during his first few games in charge.

Across six Club World Cup fixtures over the summer, Rodrygo played just 92 minutes and thus was linked with a move to the Premier League. Arsenal and Liverpool emerged as interested parties but both clubs now look to be focused on other deals.

With that in mind, reports from Spain have stated that Tottenham have made a move for Rodrygo, with AS claiming a request to Los Blancos, who are demanding £78million (€90m) to sell, for permission to speak to the 24-year-old has been lodged.

With Son Heung-min appearing set to join MLS side LAFC following Spurs' pre-season clash in South Korea, the Lilywhites could do with a big name coming in as his replacement.

Having won several trophies, including two Champions League titles, and scored numerous important goals for Real Madrid, Rodrygo could absolutely be that player especially as Spurs have missed out on the signing of Morgan Gibbs-White.

However, football.london understands there is nothing in Tottenham links to Rodrygo with the Athletic reporting he is not interested in a move to north London.

Having signed Mathys Tel and Mohammed Kudus, it is perhaps no surprise that Tottenham have no plans to bring in another wide forward. Thomas Frank was recently asked about the dilemma facing him in that position with his response offering an insight into how he plans to use certain players.

"I think first and foremost, I think it’s important that we have some depth in the squad," he said in a press conference on Tuesday when asked what his plan with the wide attackers was. "Richarlison, I see him more as a striker that can also play to the side.

"Sonny, can do both decisions. Mathys Tel is a winger but can also play as a striker. We need different skillsets.

"The perfect player is difficult to find so you need players that run in behind, players that can go 1-1, players that hopefully can score goals, that’s a big part of it, you need players that can press.

Micky van de Ven has heaped praise on fellow centre-back Luka Vuskovic after the youngster finally linked up with Tottenham this summer. Confirming a deal with Hajduk Split for the Croat back in September 2023, Vuskovic has spent the past two seasons out on loan with Radomiak Radom and Westerlo.

Since arriving at Hotspur Way to join up with his Tottenham teammates for the very first time, the teenager marked his Spurs debut at Reading with a goal in the 2-0 win in Berkshire. Vuskovic has made a big impression on Tottenham fans since his transfer to the club was first confirmed and he could become a key part of Thomas Frank's team going forward.

As well as speaking about Vuskovic, Van de Ven was also quizzed about working under Frank, his approach to injuries and finally getting a full pre-season at Tottenham under his belt. Here is every word the Netherlands international had to say to the media during his joint press conference with head coach Frank.

What is it like working under Thomas Frank?

It was really good. The first couple of weeks have been really good working under the new gaffer. (Frank interrupts and says: "Thank you, you couldn’t say anything different could you?")

It has been a really good few weeks. The first meeting I was not there because I was with the national team. He just showed us his visions and how he wants us to behave on and off the pitch. That's the first things that are really important to him and that we will get into the group now.

How good is Luka Vuskovic from what you've seen of him in training and in the games so far this summer?

Luka is only 18 years old but what you can see from how he behaves on the pitch and off the pitch you can see he is a really talented football player. He has a lot of qualities and I think he has shown in the last two friendlies that he has a lot of big and strong points where even our centre-backs can learn from. He's done unbelievable at this point and hopefully he can do way more for us and hopefully you can see way more from him.

Your thoughts on the name 'Micky van de Vengeance'?

I've never heard that one before but it's not bad.

Who's the fastest player you've come up against in the Premier League?

It's a good question. Anthony Elanga who has just signed for Newcastle is a really fast player so I would think I would put him up the list.

Micky, are you going to visit any places in Hong Kong?

From what I've seen now from Hong Kong is that I am really enjoying it. The fans are unbelievable, they are 24/7 in and outside the hotel waiting for us to walk by. The support is unreal over here and what I've seen from the city is really good and hopefully we can visit some places if we get some free time but I have to ask the gaffer for that.

First North London Derby outside the UK?

There is always a lot of pressure before games. I go into the game the same as if we play the game in London. Of course the stadium will be full and there will be a lot of fans from our side, so I hope that we can make them happy and give them a good game.

Andreas Georgson has come in as set-piece coach, what have you learnt so far and what are you working on?

We have had a lot of training sessions already where we are working on set pieces. I know you guys love talking about set-pieces and Tottenham. I hope we can change that this year and make it a strong point for us on the offensive and defensive side.

How important is it to have a full pre-season this year?

I think it’s important. Last year with the Euros, pre-season for me was not that long. I only had one week or two weeks of training before I started the Premier League. It is really good that I have these training weeks and that I can do all these sessions and build up my strength in this physical training for the season.

Are you approaching this season differently in terms of injuries?

No, I don't approach this season any different compared to what it was like. I didn't really have a pre-season at Tottenham before because two years ago I came after the pre-season and last season I had the Euros, so I was not there.

I don't approach it differently. Of course there's more time to work on my body and make my body prepared for the Premier League and for the Champions League and for all the other games that are coming up. So I would say that's a positive thing that I can work on that.

In the Europa League final your goal line save was the most important moment for me, did it give you confidence for the new season?

It was a really nice moment of course, a moment that I will never forget. Yeah, of course it gives you confidence. I think not only for me, but also like for the team overall that you win at the end the Europa League, that gives us confidence for this season.

Last season was tough for us, and then if you can end it up with winning a trophy after a long time, that's a positive thing. And yeah, to bring that into this season, yeah, that can help us a lot, yeah.

Thomas Frank has spoken to the media for the first time since Tottenham landed in Hong Kong. The Dane and his Spurs squad arrived in Asia on Monday ahead of Thursday's North London Derby friendly against Arsenal.

Tottenham will only be in Hong Kong for a short period before they jet off to South Korea for another pre-season fixture against Premier League rivals Newcastle United. Beating Reading 2-0 in Frank's first game in charge, Spurs were involved in two friendlies on Saturday as they were held to 0-0 and 2-2 draws against League One sides Luton Town and Wycombe Wanderers respectively.

Here is every single word Frank had to say to the media in Hong Kong:

What do you make of your first experience of a pre-season tour in Asia?

I think the tours are good in many ways. The players and everyone we are going to see, besides from the airport, hotel and the stadium, a little bit of a different culture. It’s great for the club to come out here and for us to experience the backing we have from fans across the world and especially this part of the world in Hong Kong, Asia. I’m pleased.

Is it about getting new fans?

We play for the fans. The more fans we can get the better. It’s up to us to make sure we show them our best side.

Morgan Gibbs-White is staying with Nottingham Forest, does this mean there is a bigger chance Son will stay and play as a playmaker?

Right now, Sonny is here and I’m very happy for that. He has trained well. I said in the last press conference that he is showing great character. He played the last two friendlies. He is in the squad, he will train today. What I’m focusing on is he is a Tottenham player.

What about Destiny Udogie's and Kota Takai’s fitness?

Kota's got plantar fascia unfortunately. I don’t know exactly the scale of it, weeks. Destiny has got a knee injury that we are assessing at the moment that just kept him out of the pre-season tour. When we know more, we will update more.

How important is it for Mikey Moore to be heading out on loan?

It is very important. Mikey is a big talent. I’m really excited about his future here at Tottenham. I think for all players but especially younger players they need consistent first-team football into their bodies. I think if we can find the right option we will do that.

You're playing your first North London Derby against Arsenal tomorrow, even though it is a friendly how do you approach it?

I think it's a great challenge besides being our biggest rivals and the first North London Derby outside the UK. It's also right now one of the best teams I must say unfortunately in the world we also need to be honest. In that way it's going to be a big test, but it's more than a test as against Arsenal it's not only a friendly. Of course it's a game we will do everything we can to win.

Tottenham fans seem to call you Thomas the Frank Engine, I would like to know your thoughts on the name?

I think it's ok. That's fine for me.

What positions are you looking to strengthen?

That is something I would like to keep very private of course. We of course are out there in the market and we're aware where we maybe want to strengthen the squad in general. I'm happy with the squad and we've already done a top signing in Mohammed Kudus that is coming in and showing us his quality already. We've got a squad where there is a lot of talent in and quality but of course we're looking.

Wide attackers, you have a lot of them so what’s your plan with them?

I think first and foremost, I think it’s important that we have some depth in the squad. Richarlison, I see him more as a striker that can also play to the side. Sonny, can do both decisions. Mathys Tel is a winger but can also play as a striker. We need different skillsets. The perfect player is difficult to find so you need players that run in behind, players that can go 1-1, players that hopefully can score goals, that’s a big part of it, you need players that can press. Some of them have ball carrying skills, some of them are very good at pressing players, so that's it.

After Morgan Gibbs-White, have you had any conversations with Daniel Levy about other players you are after?

In general we are constantly talking about transfers of course. It's the transfer window, we’re in the market, we’re still looking out there.

With the problems with injuries, how are you looking to improve that this season?

Of course I'm aware of the injury situation in Tottenham and I think it's a big thing for any club in the world. Availability is key. If you have availability close to 100%, which is difficult for your top players because there are more and more games. I think the games are going up.

But a couple of things. The good thing is that we've got a good and long pre-season. That means it's possible to push and pull the players. We are very aware how we want to play and how we want to train and I think that needs to be aligned completely to the style of play and the physical output of how we want to train.

So we need to make sure the players are robust enough and there's of course the gym sessions, recovery which is equally important and then there is that availability to be able to compete in all the tournaments. We are aware and a few adjustments and hopefully we will be successful there.

With Son, last season there was some talk that he was out wide too much and you said today that both Son and Richarlison can play on the wing and central, do you have any plans to use Son in the central position?

I think everyone knows that Son has been one of the best players at Tottenham in the past 10 years. I think he's been hugely successful from the left wing. I also think he's had some fantastic games down the middle as a number nine. So it's important to have players who can play in more than one position and it's about having your best players on the pitch and available. So the thing about Sonny is that he will always score goals and it's just about getting him in those situations.