Garth Crooks claims Tottenham player has grown on him

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Garth Crooks has told BBC Sport that Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg has grown on him as he named the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder in his team of the week.

Spurs went into the international break off the back of a much-needed win. They beat Aston Villa 2-1 in North London on Sunday.

It was Hojbjerg who broke the deadlock with a rare goal. It was a smart finish from the Dane from the edge of the box, curling the ball into the bottom corner past Emi Martinez after taking one touch to steady himself.

Nuno Espirito Santo certainly needed the win. But Hojbjerg perhaps needed the goal and positive performance just as much.

The 26-year-old has come in for criticism this term. Certainly, his doubters had a field day after the North London derby last weekend.

But Crooks has lauded the midfielder, suggesting that his finish was not one that provided any indication of the concern surrounding Tottenham right now.

“I must say he has grown on me since his arrival at Spurs. He’s one of the few Tottenham players that have some grit to their game,” he told BBC Sport.

“You can also trust him in a battle and at times the game against Aston Villa became just that. What was impressive, however, was the way Hojbjerg took his goal.”

Getting best out of Hojbjerg could be crucial for Nuno as he looks to spark Tottenham turnaround

It does appear that plenty of Tottenham fans are not convinced about Hojbjerg.

He was arguably one of the few players to emerge from last season with any credit.

But he perhaps does have limitations in certain aspects of his game.

So it could be very important for Nuno if he can get the best out of Hojbjerg in the coming months.

Tottenham do have other midfielders who bring a lot to the table. Oliver Skipp has been a shining light this season.

But Hojbjerg is crucial to Spurs’ fortunes in a lot of ways.