‘A few words’: £120k-a-week Tottenham Hotspur player admits he could hardly speak English when he arrived at the club

Add as preferred source on Google

Tottenham Hotspur defender Clement Lenglet has admitted he could hardly speak English when he arrived at the club.

The 27-year-old centre-back spoke to The Guardian about his move from Barcelona to Spurs this summer.

Llenget arrived from the Catalan club in search of more first-team minutes.

He managed just seven league starts at Camp Nou last season.

Had he stayed, his minutes could have been limited even further by the arrival of Jules Kounde.

Lenglet joined Tottenham at the start of the summer transfer window, but an injury limited his immediate impact.

He’s admitted in recent weeks that his fitness has improved a lot, and he’s shared defensive duties with Ben Davies.

Lenglet has admitted that he could hardly speak English when he arrived, and this might have affected Antonio Conte’s decision to select him at first.

However, his quality on the pitch has shone on the occasions he has been picked.

Lenglet could hardly speak English on Tottenham arrival

Speaking to the Guardian, Lenglet said: “I didn’t speak English when I came … a few words.”

The interviewee suggested he’s already ‘made impressive strides in this regard’, which will encourage Tottenham fans.

Lenglet would have had the likes of Hugo Lloris and Pape Matar Sarr to help him settle in as other native French speakers.

The £120,000-per-week defender is only on loan at Spurs for a season, and Lenglet has admitted there’s no option to buy.

He still has plenty of time to show if Tottenham should make his move permanent, or whether he wants to stay.

Football London journalist Alasdair Gold has said that Lenglet is keen to be a ‘big success’ at the club, even if he does leave in the summer.

Part of Lenglet’s motivation for joining Tottenham would have been to break back into the French national team ahead of the World Cup.

The 27-year-old already has 15 caps, but hasn’t been called up for the last three squads.

Lenglet’s decision to join Tottenham despite hardly being able to speak English speaks volumes about his character.

That determination to succeed will be vital as Spurs look to push forward in the league and in Europe.