Football London

The Tottenham Hotspur winger has been speaking about life at the north London club and being on the end of his captain's anger

Mohammed Kudus believes it was important that Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven shouted their anger at him on Saturday after his mistake led to a Brentford chance during Tottenham's 2-0 win.

Kudus showboated somewhat in the second half with Spurs ahead in turning back to his own half and trying to flick the ball to Xavi Simons only to send it out of play, giving Brentford the chance to take a quick throw and break into the hosts' box with Romero sliding in to deny Igor Thiago at the last moment.

Both Romero and Van de Ven turned and shouted their rage at the 25-year-old Ghana international, who had otherwise been excellent in the game.

"We just want to keep a clean sheet with the back line, I think that's the most important part," said Van de Ven after the victory of that incident. "So every time someone is doing, I wouldn't call it strange things, but you know what I mean, we need to be on them, we need to keep them awake, we need everybody to keep them awake, and make sure we get the three points. Just keep defending like we did the whole game, and I think that's important in these moments."

Here's the full transcript from Kudus' press conference on Monday afternoon ahead of Spurs' Champions League game against Slavia Prague, including football.london's question to him about that moment with the two centre-backs.

You were great on Saturday but there was one moment when you flicked the ball out of play, Brentford had a chance to score and Romero and Van de Ven made their feelings clear, tell us about that moment and how you're comfortable enough as a squad to tell each other when standards need to be kept up?

I think it’s very important to be honest with each other and demand more from each other so it was a moment in the game where there were emotions everywhere, they demanded it from not just me but the whole team. It is just part of the game. I just kept on with it and kept playing.

Have you got the stool you used to celebrate on from West Ham, the wooden one with the elephants?

It was just one time I used that… mostly I use the one from the stewards. The stool from West Ham, I just used it the once and that was it. It should be on the bus but it’s not with me personally.

What kind of Ghana will England face next summer - you're not at AFCON, could they underestimate your quality?

Erm, well, their approach is part of the game. But I think to qualify for the World Cup alone is a big statement from us. It shows what we can do. There's still a bit of time until that so just focus here for now and then definitely we will prepare towards that as well. But it's good to have England in the group.

What are your thoughts on facing England?

Interesting. I'm looking forward to it. I'm playing against most of the players in the country, and some of the other guys that play here. So we are pretty much aware of the side we are facing and the quality they have, but we will definitely be up for it and be ready.

You've spoken about playing on dusty, difficult pitches as a child, did that help your ability to dribble with the ball?

I think in circumstances like that obviously in the sand you don’t really know and expect how the ball is supposed to move or bounce. You have to react towards it quickly. That was the situation back then. It’s something definitely we want to change now because I think playing on good pitches here helps a lot.

Looking at it from a positive point of view it helps your technique in a way because if you can play in the sun where you don’t know where the ball is supposed to move and it changes very quickly and you have to react to it, then when you have a better pitch definitely it’s gonna help.

It’s something we’re all playing a part to change and to improve back home, just where I was, to get better pitches to help their development. But looking at it from a positive point of view, it helps in a way. It’s the close control. In the sun you don’t know where the ball is going so you have to react quickly to that.

What have you made of your start for Spurs?

I think I'm still getting used to everything. Even though the demands are high, and obviously there's no time, you've got to perform immediately during the club because, yeah, that's what the league is about. But with the help of the staff, the coach and the teammates, I think I've been settling smoothly so far, but there's still a lot more to do and to show as a team, individually as well. We just keep taking it game by game and then keep focusing on what's ahead, but I believe we have a lot to offer as a team and individually as well.

What do you need to do to show your best level more consistently?

Win a trophy with the club.

Did the pressure lift after the win over Brentford?

I think home or away there's pressure to win every game, especially playing for a big club like Tottenham. The pressure has always been there but definitely we want to do our best to win more games, whether home or away. But more important especially in front of our home fans as well. Definitely this Saturday was a good boost and thanks to the fans for their support because we are all in this together. We just need to build on that and then kill it tomorrow as well.

Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur are all set to discover their opponents for the FA Cup third round with the draw getting underway at roughly 6:45pm on Monday evening.

The second round took place this past weekend with Premier League and Championship sides now entering the knockout tournament. The ties are set to be played on the weekend of January 10, 2026 with the remaining rounds played in the following months before the final at Wembley Stadium in May.

Weston-super-Mare, Macclesfield and Boreham Wood are the only non-league sides remaining in the competition, with Brackley Town aiming to join them and will thus be hoping for an away clash against one of England's top teams.

Off the back of such a hectic Christmas schedule Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs will be among those hoping for a relatively straightforward home tie.

James Maddison has finally returned to training on the grass at Hotspur Way, but he's still far from making his return to the pitch

James Maddison will join Jamie Carragher on Monday Night Football this evening. The Tottenham Hotspur midfielder, who's currently sidelined with an anterior cruciate ligament injury, will join the Liverpool legend in previewing Manchester United's clash against Wolves.

The duo will also react to the weekend's action after the Premier League title race took another twist. Aston Villa stormed past Arsenal, Manchester City smashed Sunderland, the Lilywhites defeated Brentford, and Leeds United came from behind to salvage a point against Liverpool.

Maddison and Carragher are also expected to comment on Mohamed Salah's explosive interview. Sky Sports will begin coverage from 6.30pm on Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Main Event ahead of kick-off at 8pm.

So, with that being said, football.london has rounded up everything you need to know about Maddison, on and off the pitch.

Maddison gets back on the grass

Maddison missed the end of last season with a knee injury, which he suffered during a win over Bodo/Glimt in the Europa League semi-final first leg. Shortly after Tottenham confirmed their place in the final against United, the England international broke his silence on social media to confirm the bad news.

Ahead of his appearance on Monday Night Football, the 29-year-old midfielder was spotted training on the grass at Hotspur Way with a member of the sports science staff. Maddison then headed over to the group, squeezing in a few light touches of the ball before he embraced Thomas Frank.

He then shared a couple of words with his teammates. football.london understands that Maddison hopes to be back on the pitch before the end of the season, but he doesn't want to risk aggravating the problem.

Speaking to reporters ahead of Tottenham's clash against Slavia Praha in the UEFA Champions League, Frank provided an update on the playmaker. The Dane said: "It's very early stages.

"It's still a long-term injury, so it's good to see him out there, but very early stages. There's no specific time frame. It'll be a long time, unfortunately, before he's available."

Maddison launches his own YouTube channel

Maddison launched his own YouTube channel in August 2025, and, at the time of writing, he's got just under 100,000 subscribers. The Tottenham midfielder has uploaded three videos, raking in almost two million views.

He began by documenting pre-season training before opening up on the first weeks of his knee rehabilitation programme. Maddison also collaborated with Morgan Burtwistle, commonly known as AngryGinge, who just won I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, when Spurs locked horns with United.

Maddison builds his very own 'five-a-side' team

During Maddison's spell on the sidelines, is partner, Kennedy Alexa, gave birth to twins. They started dating in 2020 before having their first child, Leo, the following year.

Maddison and his other half had twins – Delilah and Rome – shortly after he joined Tottenham in the summer of 2023. Then, in November 2025, Kennedy gave birth to another set of twins, Jensen and Frankie.

The Spurs star announced the heart-warming news on social media. Captioning a picture of his children on Instagram, Maddison wrote: "Jensen & Frankie Maddison. 30.10.25. Five a side team complete. You’re a superwoman @kennedyalexa."

Maddison has always been a family man. Speaking to the club website a couple of years ago, he said: "My family is everything, and I can’t wait to have my family at the games at our unbelievable stadium.

"My mum and dad have been with me from the start, my little brother Ben... family is everything," added Maddison, who also loves his dogs. "Diego and Denzel. It’s little and large.

"Diego is a little French bulldog, and Denzel is a protection Cane Corso. One is 6kg, the other’s 66kg! Who doesn’t love dogs? Dogs are one of the best things; they just love you no matter what, whatever day you are having."

Maddison opens up about ' ridiculous' Casino controversy

In October 2019, Maddison was pictured at a poker table in a casino on the night England lost to the Czech Republic. The midfielder was called-up for the game – only to leave the squad three days before the match, having contracted the flu.

Three years later, Maddison described the fallout 'ridiculous'. He said: "I thought that might get brought up and I'm actually glad you asked because people forget I was actually capped by Gareth Southgate and called up after the casino incident and it wasn't a big deal at the time for Gareth.

"It got blown out of proportion and some of it was ridiculous for what actually happened but that's in the past. I don't want to go into the details because we know in-house what it was and it wasn't a big deal then.

"Like I said, I was actually capped after that incident so people who often say [things about the casino incident] are looking for an excuse for me why I'm not in the squad but that's not the case to be honest.

"We had already spoken about it, put it to bed, and I was called up and capped after that. That was never a concern. That was more outside noise from you lot, I think.

"Anyone who knows me, the type of person I am and how I am as a player, I always try and carry myself with respect, very professional and stuff. I don't feel like I'm misunderstood.

"Sitting here today, 25-year-old James Maddison who is a father would probably say to 20-year-old James Maddison: 'Probably not the best idea to do that.'

"But that's all part of learning and all part of getting experience. That's probably why I'm thicker-skinned and more experienced to talk to you now because of little things that have happened in the past."

Maddison net worth

Thomas Frank could be without a few key players when Tottenham Hotspur lock horns with Borussia Dortmund next month

Three Tottenham Hotspur players will be walking on thin ice when they face Slavia Praha in the UEFA Champions League. The Lilywhites will look to pick up from where they left off when they host the Czech outfit in north London on Tuesday night.

Spurs enjoyed a 2-0 victory against Brentford at the weekend, climbing back into the top half of the Premier League. Tottenham were winless in their last five games across all competitions before facing Thomas Frank's former side, drawing two and losing the other three.

Meanwhile, Slavia Praha have been enjoying an excellent vein of form. Jindřich Trpišovský's side won their sixth successive game in the Czech top-flight on Friday night, defeating FK Teplice 2-1 to defend their five-point lead at the top of the table.

The Czech outfit, however, is one of six teams that are yet to taste victory in the Champions League this season. Tottenham will certainly fancy their chances on Tuesday evening, even if a few players are walking on eggshells.

Randal Kolo Muani, Micky van de Ven, and Richarlison have each been cautioned twice during the league phase. If they receive a third yellow card, they'll be suspended for one match by UEFA.

The governing body's rules state: "As from the first match in the league phase, players and team officials are suspended for the next competition match after three cautions, that did not result in a red card, as well as after any subsequent odd-numbered caution (fifth, seventh, ninth, etc.)."

The accumulation of bookings expires upon completion of the quarter-finals, and they're not carried forward to the semi-finals. Frank will want his full squad available to him when the Lilywhites host Borussia Dortmund in January.

The Germain giants have enjoyed an excellent start to the campaign, climbing into the top eight of the Champions League table. Dortmund have won three of their five games, with their only defeat coming against Manchester City.

The following week, Tottenham will drop the curtain on the league phase and face Eintracht Frankfurt at the Deutsche Bank Park. Speaking to reporters on Monday afternoon, Frank previewed the Slavia Praha clash.

"It's always good to build on and get the momentum and get more consistent, good performances," said the Dane. "That's a big part of getting into that.

"We really try to build on that tomorrow night and have a good opportunity against a good Slavia Prague team that I’ve studied a lot and they make it difficult. They play a very direct, physical style.

"They have more or less man-to-man over the pitch, so that just makes it different. You can't relax at one stage of the game. When you're a little bit further up the pitch, you also have man-to-man over the pitch, so you're not as used to that bit.

"That can definitely, potentially, make it difficult for us. It's a game where we respect the opponent a lot, but it's about us. It's about us making sure we perform well and continue with the forwardness and directness we had in the offensive play."

Here's every single word Thomas Frank said on Monday ahead of Tottenham Hotspur's Champions League match against Slavia Prague

Thomas Frank faced the questions on Monday afternoon at Tottenham's press conference ahead of the Champions League clash with Slavia Prague.

Tottenham welcome Slavia on Tuesday night, with the Czech side looking to bring to an end a 22-game unbeaten home run in Europe for the north London outfit which stretches back half a decade, all the way back to 2020. Frank delivered the latest injury news with Destiny Udogie and Brennan Johnson not spotted in training, while Randal Kolo Muani had limped out of the stadium on Saturday after pulling up in the second half.

The Spurs boss was also asked about Dejan Kulusevski and spoke about Mathys Tel continuing to be out of the Champions League squad despite Dominic Solanke's absence.

Our Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold was among those putting the questions to Frank. Here's the full transcript from the press conference at Hotspur Way.

What's the latest team news and are you tempted to keep with the same starting XI?

Destiny picked up a hamstring injury in the end of the Newcastle game, so he’s out until January unfortunately. Bren is touch and go.

I liked the performance a lot but we are also playing a lot of games so there will be a bit of rotation, and I think that’s the right thing to do to make sure everyone is coming full of energy and freshness but also keeping a core.

Someone not involved is Yves Bissouma, is there a disciplinary process underway and have you spoken to him?

It’s an internal matter that we are dealing with at the moment and when we have dealt with that, then I will comment on it.

Dejan Kulusevski appears to be somewhere abroad, diving into a cold snowy lake at night, does that mean he's at a stage of his recovery where he can still be in a different environment for his rehab?

You know as I said I will confirm when he is available for the squad, but as part of recovery, there’s a plan for everything.

We saw James Maddison out there earlier and he'll be on the TV later, no doubt talking about it?

He'll definitely be talking.

Can you update us on where he's at and what he was doing?

It is very early stages, still a long term injury. Good to see him out there but very early stages and there is no specific time frame. It will be a long time unfortunately before he is available.

How important is it to sustain the momentum?

Definitely, it’s always good to build and get the momentum to get more consistent and good performances. We really try to build on that tomorrow night. We have a good opportunity against a good Slavia Prague team that we’ve studied a lot and they make it difficult. They play a very direct, physical style, they have more or less man to man all over the pitch.

That just makes it different you can’t relax in one state of the game and when you’re further up the pitch you also have man to man so you’re not as used to that. So that can definitely potentially make it difficult for us. It’s a game where we respect the opponent a lot but it’s about us, to make sure we perform well and continue with the forwardness and directness we had in the offensive play.

Are you still aiming for the top eight in the Champions League?

I am more for me about this next game ahead of us. We have played so many games and this is the next one in the Champions League. It’s a very important one playing at home we have a perfect record so far, can we continue that? Three points tomorrow would be a massive step in the first bit which is to qualify for thee play-off round. And then if and when hopefully we qualify for that, we can look further ahead.

With Antonin Kinsky who came last winter from Slavia, how difficult is it for a young goalkeeper when he's now playing? Is he being considered as a potential number one for Tottenham in future?

To be fair, first and foremost, I think Tony is a very good goalkeeper. I'm very happy with him here at Tottenham and I think he has a great future ahead of him in many ways.

I think it's difficult for any player, no matter if you're young or you're old, you're a goalkeeper or you're an outfield player. If you're not playing, you're not 100 per cent happy. That's unfortunately part of the game.

But when it's like that, just keep training well, head down, do everything you can to improve on the training pitch every day. That's the most important thing.

Did you or the club ever consider bringing Mathys Tel into the Champions League squad given Dominic Solanke is still injured?

Ah of course if I knew back then what I know now I maybe would have changed the decision, no doubt about that. Of course it is something we can have into consideration if you can change one player, what is the timing and when is the other player back? It is also a decision in terms of some of the long-term injuries, when can they be back? And we also need players fit and available so we have enough players to shoot with from the bench.

Would you consider putting Tel in now even if just for the next three games if Dom isn't back until January?

I think it is definitely some consideration we have, with the players we have available to make sure we have the most possible weapons to fire with.

The home form of the Champions League has been very good this season, what do you put that difference down to?

It's a bit of a coincidence sometimes. There could be various reasons. I think for me Champions League, Premier League, Carabao Cup - for me we play at home, we play home. No matter the competition. That's why it's never as good or as bad as we always think and talk about. It's not been perfect and not at the level we want but I think it was a very good step going forward Saturday. I really expect and hope and have a good feeling about tomorrow night. We know it can be very awkward and difficult against Slavia but I have a good belief that we can come out and perform well again.

One of your former coaching colleagues, Lars Friis, was at Sparta Prague, did you try to contact him to get some information about Slavia?

Lars is a good friend of mine. We also worked together in the past. Of course it's confidential what I've spoken to Lars about before the game but we keep in contact. This is a very important game for us against Slavia so we are of course very well prepared with our own analysis but also with every help we can get from good contacts or friends in the game.

Tottenham icon Harry Kane got a namecheck in Mohamed Salah's surprising interview, where he hit out at the Liverpool hierarchy after being benched for a third match in a row

Harry Kane was a surprise inclusion in an interview given by Mohamed Salah, as the Liverpool forward namechecked him as an example to hit back at his club. It came as the Egyptian international was benched for a third game in a row in the Premier League, following some recent struggles.

The Reds haven't found any consistency in the division so far, with Tottenham already looking ahead to their meeting with them next week. Salah won't be involved in that match, as he will be away on international duty for AFCON, but it remains to be seen if he will be around for the reverse fixture in March.

That's due to the 33-year-old hitting out at his current employers, stating that he has been "thrown under the bus" by the hierarchy. There was also a mention of his relationship with Arne Slot breaking down, while he suggested that the clash with Brighton over the weekend could be his last for the club.

The feeling of frustration stems from his recent exclusion from the starting XI, while he feels he has earned his place in the team. The draw with Leeds appeared to be the last straw for Salah, who didn't even get on the pitch in the end, with a question about that frustration leading to a namecheck on Kane.

He said: "Can you answer that? [If he is frustrated that he wasn't brought on] I have been at this club, scoring more than anyone in this generation, since I came to the Premier League. I don’t think anyone has scored more goals and made more assists than me.

"In the whole Premier League. If I am somewhere else, everybody would go to the media and defend the players. I am the only one in this situation.

"Can I give an example? It's silly, but I am sorry. I remember a while ago, Harry Kane was not scoring for ten games, everyone in the media was like ‘Oh, Harry will score for sure', when it comes to Mo, everyone is like ‘he needs to be on the bench’. I am sorry, Harry!"

While it may have been a slight stray shot at Kane, followed up by an apology, it was also an incorrect statement made by Salah. That was proven wrong by Opta, who posted that Kane has never gone six top-flight starts in a row without scoring in his career.

That's not to say there were not some rough points for the former Tottenham striker, who has had his challenges over the years. There have been questions over his mobility and injury record at times, as well as his ability to step up in the most important matches of all.

However, his goal-scoring record is plain for all to see, with 17 being his lowest tally for a full Premier League season in his time at Spurs, and 30 being his highest on two occasions. Now at Bayern Munich, the England captain continues to prove his ability at the top level.

At 32 years old, and just one year younger than Salah, Kane has been bagging plenty of goals in the Bundesliga as well. In his first season, the striker scored 36 goals, while he backed that up with 26 the following campaign.

With 17 goals already to his name in just 13 appearances for Bayern, it seems as though the Tottenham icon is showing no signs of slowing down any time soon.

The Tottenham players were training on the pitches at Hotspur Way on Monday ahead of their Champions League match against Slavia Prague

Tottenham were training in the rain on Monday afternoon at Hotspur Way ahead of their Champions League match against Slavia Prague.

Spurs got back on track with a 2-0 win against Brentford on Saturday to make it four Premier League victories in 2025 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Now they will be looking to make it back-to-back victories at their home with the game against Slavia Prague on Tuesday night.

Tottenham's European home record is far, far better than their Premier League one as they have gone 22 games without defeat across the different competitions, including 18 wins and four draws with 60 goals scored and 13 conceded.

Thomas Frank and his coaching staff were putting the Spurs players through their paces with some notable absentees and one surprise sighting.

Here are five things we spotted while watching the opening stages of the training session at Hotspur Way on Monday afternoon.

Who was missing?

Destiny Udogie missed the Brentford match with a soft tissue muscle injury and he was not out there training with the team on Monday. Brennan Johnson was also missing from the session. The Wales international looked to be moving uncomfortably before coming off at Newcastle and was an unused substitute against Brentford.

Dominic Solanke was not out among the group and neither was Dejan Kulusevski, who posted a video of himself taking a late night dip in a freezing lake on his Instagram account on Sunday evening. Yves Bissouma remains out with his ankle injury, amid reports claiming that he has been caught on camera inhaling nitrous oxide again.

There was positive news though as while Randal Kolo Muani limped out of the stadium on Saturday after pulling up in the second half, the Frenchman was out training with the team on Monday.

Surprise sighting

Ahead of his appearance on Sky's Monday Night Football, James Maddison could be seen on the grass in the distance with a member of the sports science staff.

He then headed over to the group, tapping a ball along at times as he walked, before making a beeline for Frank and giving the Spurs boss a hug, while saying the odd word to the players.

The midfielder hopes to be back before the end of the season from his ACL injury which he suffered at the beginning of August, but he also stated in a recent YouTube video that he would not risk rushing back too early.

Crazy Romero

The 15 minutes of training that were open to the media mostly consisted of warm-up drills before a few fiercely-contested rondos.

The players were all in high spirits in the aftermath of the weekend's victory and none more so than captain Cristian Romero who was energetically running around in his rondo.

So determined was the skipper to enjoy himself in front of the cameras that at one point he dived on the floor and headed the ball as it rolled across the grass rather than kicking it, ignoring the potential of a boot to the face.

Frustrated Van de Ven

Romero's centre-back partner Micky van de Ven was also a talkative, laughing presence throughout the early stages of the session.

The Dutchman was in the other rondo to his skipper and was the dominant voice in that one. At the end of one keenly-contested sequence of passing, when things took a turn against Van de Ven, the speedy defender showed some mock frustration by booting the ball into the stratosphere and into the distance.

With the coaches uses multi-balls though, he had no chance to rest as the next one was thrown straight back in.

Richarlison wrestled

Pape Matar Sarr was also enjoying himself with plenty of energy and laughs while Radu Dragusin, Mohammed Kudus and Xavi Simons were all showing various flicks and tricks.

Richarlison, after scoring his fourth goal in six games on Saturday, got a bit carried away at one point in the rondo and flicked the ball up into Kevin Danso's face. The Austrian is one of the strongest players in the squad and duly grabbed the Brazilian and wrestled him to the floor as if he was the weight of a feather. Richarlison likes a complaint but even he was taking this punishment from the big centre-back without moaning.

Thomas Frank and Mohammed Kudus are both speaking at a press conference ahead of Tottenham's clash with Slavia Prague in the Champions League.

While Spurs' 2-0 win against Brentford on Saturday made it four Premier League victories in 2025 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the club's European home record is far better with 22 games without defeat across the different competitions, including 18 wins and four draws with 60 goals scored and 13 conceded.

Now Tottenham will welcome Slavia Prague with the Czech side looking to end that long run which stretches back half a decade, all the way back to 2020.

Frank will deliver the latest injury news with Destiny Udogie missing the Brentford match with a soft tissue muscle injury while Randal Kolo Muani limped out of the stadium on Saturday after pulling up in the second half.

Kudus will speak about his season at Spurs so far with another eye-catching performance at the weekend, while also getting a telling off from captain Cristian Romero and his centre-back partner Micky van de Ven for one bit of second half showboating that ended with a Brentford chance.

Our Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold is among those putting the questions to both men. Scroll down for his latest updates from the press conference at Hotspur Way.

Tottenham are preparing for Tuesday’s visit of Slavia Prague in the Champions League

Tottenham have injury concerns over Destiny Udogie and Randal Kolo Muani before Tuesday’s visit of Slavia Prague in the Champions League.

Udogie missed Saturday’s 2-0 win over Brentford after he sustained a soft tissue injury in the midweek draw at Newcastle.

Paris Saint-Germain loanee Kolo Muani impressed against Brentford but was withdrawn early and was later seen limping as he left the stadium.

Asked how long Udogie will be out for, Spurs boss Thomas Frank said: “Not too long. He got a soft tissue injury, unfortunately, against Newcastle.”

Spurs will already be without long-term absentees James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke and Mathys Tel will be unavailable due to not being included in the club’s Champions League league phase squad.

Tottenham eased the pressure on Frank with a comfortable two-goal win over his former club Brentford where summer recruit Xavi Simons’ sparkled and Archie Gray caught the eye in midfield.

It earned Spurs a first home win in the Premier League since August 16.

“Yeah, that is the standard,” Frank insisted.

“Sometimes there’s more tight games, as we know, but I like what I saw from the team and that’s what we need to build on and try to become even better.”

Micky van de Ven shared his delight after Xavi Simons netted his first Tottenham goal in Spurs' 2-0 Premier League triumph over Brentford on Saturday afternoon

Xavi Simons' first Tottenham goal came as no surprise to Micky van de Ven - because he recently told his compatriot his time would come.

The marquee £51.8million summer signing has endured a frustrating start to life in N17 but he was the toast of Spurs' first Premier League home win since the opening day of season on Saturday when he also assisted against Brentford.

Van de Ven said when asked whether he's had to put an arm around his club and international team-mate: "No, to be honest, he kept training hard. He kept training every day to become a better player, every day over and over again.

"Of course, in the moments where he's a bit down because he didn't start, I'm there for him and I speak with him.

"I said, 'Xavi, trust me, your time will come, don't you worry' and obviously today you saw his qualities."

OPINION

Van de Ven is confident Simons, who had started Spurs' previous four matches on the bench prior to dazzling against the Bees, will now kick on and prove his worth.

The imperious centre-back added: "Obviously he didn't start the last games but I know Xavi has the quality to create things for us. He can be really important for us, I know that.

"For you guys [the media], of course, it's more difficult to see that, but I think he showed it today by himself as well.

"He delivered an unbelievable performance today and was really important for the team."

It's been a productive week for Thomas Frank, whose spirited side also battled back from behind twice to earn a credible point at Newcastle in midweek.

Van de Ven wants Spurs to look back on the past two matches as a turning point in their season ahead of the gruelling festive schedule.

He explained: "It was a good point at Newcastle and an important home win today. You can see in the table that all the teams are really close together. One game you can be fifth, the next you can be 13th.

"I think now we're coming into the months that are going to make the difference in whether you're going to play for the European spots or if you're going to play more down the bottom.

"Tuesday [Slavia Prague] is important for us in the Champions League as well, then it's Nottingham Forest away.

"That will be a really tough game but if we can get three points, as you say, you're looking upwards."

Van de Ven insists the Tottenham dressing room has total faith in Frank, concluding on the Dane: "Of course, when a team is not doing really well, everybody is going to be on the manager.

"He's come into a new club and has had to adapt, Tottenham is different with all respect to Brentford. But we're good with him and the team trusts in him.

"He knows what he wants us to do and we know what he wants. So we just do what we need to do and we back him every day."