Tottenham Hotspur defeated Villarreal 1-0 in the Champions League, and one player really caught the eye of Wayne Rooney.
Lucas Bergvall’s cross was deflected in by Villarreal’s goalkeeper and proved to be the only goal of the game on Tottenham Hotspur’s return to the Champions League.
Thomas Frank won’t have been overly pleased with how his team performed, but to kick off their European campaign will have been the most important thing.
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Speaking after the game, Wayne Rooney highlighted one Spurs player who performed really well against the Spanish side.
Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty ImagesWayne Rooney hails Lucas Bergvall’s ‘fantastic’ maturity vs Villarreal
Rooney has hailed Bergvall’s ‘fantastic’ maturity, which he has shown against Villarreal and the majority of the new campaign.
The former Premier League striker thinks that it’s easy to forget his age at times given how many games he’s already played for the North London club.
Rooney told Prime Video: “Sometimes you forget how young he is because he played a lot of games last season, and the maturity with which he plays is fantastic.
“So he shows different sides to his game this season, last season he played a bit deeper, and to play as a number ten is not easy, it’s not easy to get on the ball and be in the right positions, but I thought today he showed the different side to his game, which will only improve him in the future.”
Bergvall, who Alan Shearer says has ‘unbelievable technique’, won the Man of the Match award for his display in the Champions League.
The 19-year-old was making his Champions League debut, so to be the best player on the pitch proves how big a talent the Swedish international is.
Michael Carrick hails Lucas Bergvall playing the number ten role for Tottenham
Michael Carrick is also a big fan of Bergvall and has been so impressed with his ability to play the number ten role for Tottenham.
Frank has recently moved the teenager into a more attacking role, which paid off against West Ham as Bergvall scored with a brilliant run in behind the Hammers’ defence.
Carrick asked the youngster: “I thought you were fantastic, Lucas, so well played. Just an interesting one, you know, when you play in that high position, just behind their midfield and where you made your run for the goal (against West Ham).
“Do you find that you almost want to go a bit deeper to get a touch of the ball, or are you happy to stay high so you can run forward?”
To which the young Swede responded: “Yeah, when I play as a 10 as I do now, we need those runs forward and I think I did it well this and last game. Obviously, I’ve played a lot at six and eight, but this year I’ve played more as a 10.”
The former Spurs midfielder then added: “It’s not easy, as a young player especially, when you want to affect the game and get on the ball, but I thought you showed real good maturity and understanding of the position to make your runs at the right time.
“Even though you might have wanted the ball a little bit more, I thought you showed real good patience and composure playing in that role tonight.”