AC Milan boss admits he’s a huge fan of Tottenham star he thinks can do it all

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Tottenham Hotspur might not be gracing the Champions League this season.

But that has not stopped the boss of a seven-time European giant – in the build up to his side’s clash on Tuesday night – speaking out about one of Ange Postecoglou’s star men unprompted in his pre-match press conference.

Paulo Fonseca will be a familiar name to Tottenham Hotspur supporters.

Back in 2021, as Spurs embarked on a sprawling and highly-flawed pursuit of a new head coach, Fonseca was one of the first on Daniel Levy’s mile-long list of interviewees.

Speaking to the Telegraph a few months later, Fonseca would reveal that the appointment of Fabio Paratici as Spurs’ managing director eventually scuppered his hopes of taking charge in North London.

Thanks to Paratici, Fonseca was also denied the chance to take in the brilliance of Heung-Min Son at close quarters.

AC Milan boss a huge fan of Tottenham Hotspur star Heung-Min Son

Speaking now as the manager of AC Milan, three years after a drawn-out saga ended with Nuno Espirito Santo’s dismally short stay in the Spurs dugout, Fonseca views Tottenham’s number seven as the prototype of the modern-day winger.

Forwards in this day and age must be able to contribute at both ends of the pitch.

And Son, a prolific goalscorer but also integral to Postecoglou’s high-pressing demands, is a player any young wideman should be looking up to for inspiration.

“Who are the box-to-box players today?” Fonseca asked of reporters ahead of Milan’s 3-1 Champions League victory over Club Brugge on Tuesday.

“Everyone in football today must know how to both attack and defend. Son, Tottenham’s winger, is a box-to-box [player].

“One associates box to box with central positions, but [every player on the pitch can be] box to box.”

Bamboozling Jean-Clair Todibo before firing home as Tottenham pasted London rivals West Ham 4-1 on Saturday, Heung-Min Son moved into the Premier League’s top 20 all-time goalscorers.

His 123rd first division strike sees him draw level with Arsenal’s Raheem Sterling and Manchester United legend Dwight Yorke.

Son is also just two shy of Nicolas Anelka, three adrift of Robbie Keane, and four away from matching the tally of Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.

Now back in his favoured left wing role following the arrival of a new £65 million striker – the aforementioned Robbie Keane is full of praise for Dominic Solanke’s impact at Tottenham – skipper Son continues to be a huge presence both on and off the pitch.

Ange Postecoglou cannot speak highly enough of Spurs skipper Son

“Pretty much what you see is what you get with Sonny,” Postecoglou said in September.

“Anyone who’s had any sort of interaction with him or watched him from afar will know he’s a really positive guy.

“He’s very competitive, he’s constantly pushing himself and others around him. He’s got a real positive energy and been an enormous help for me since I’ve been here, because he’s been at the club for quite a while now.

“He knows the ins and outs of it. Having a guy like him, particularly with his positive nature works well with the environment I want to create. So, it’s great to have him as part of the group.

“He’s no different to what you see behind the scenes compared to on the football pitch. He’s ultra-competitive, but always positive with everything he does, his interactions with people and the way he engages with people is always with a positive backdrop.

“He can’t do enough for anybody that he comes across, but always in the back of his mind he’s a winner and wants to be the best that he can be. He’s an ideal person to have as a leader.”