Jermain Defoe blown away by ‘sharp’ £19m Tottenham star last night

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Tottenham Hotspur cult hero Jermain Defoe has described Rodrigo Bentancur as a “massive” player following his return to action on Friday night.

The Spurs midfielder took to the pitch in the 2-1 win over Crystal Palace, which sent Tottenham five points clear at the top of the Premier League table.

Bentancur was considered one of the most influential players for Spurs last season before he suffered a cruciate ligament issue in February.

Now, with October drawing to a close, the 26-year-old is finally back in action. He replaced Dejan Kulusevski in the latter stages of the game.

‘A top, top player’

Amongst the post-match celebrations, several Tottenham pushed the £19million man towards the Spurs away fans to be saluted.

This just goes to show how much of a boost Bentancur’s return has been to the Tottenham contingent and fanbase, and Defoe was also buzzing.

He said, as per the Premier League website: “He’s a massive player. A top, top player, someone who’s looked really sharp in training.

“Everyone’s happy, it’s not nice when someone gets a serious injury but when you come back into the team – you get these scenes with the fans. He’s a top player for the club.”

After a goalless first half, Spurs opened the scoring in the 53rd minute as James Maddison’s ball into the six-yard box came off Joel Ward and went into the Palace net.

Tottenham then doubled their lead in the 66th minute, with Brennan Johnson and Maddison combining well before the 22-year-old set Son Heung-min up to finish.

Although Palace pulled a goal back through Jordan Ayew, Spurs held on to increase their lead at the summit.

Bentancur boost as Tottenham continue flying high

It’s amazing how quickly – and comprehensively – things can change in football.

Bentancur’s absence was a huge blow last term, with Spurs enduring one of their worst campaigns in recent history.

Tottenham ended the season outside of the European places, without a manager and without a director of football. They also lost Harry Kane’s services in the summer.

Now, Spurs will remain top of the Premier League table beyond matchweek 10, and the boosts just keep coming.

Bentancur’s return will strengthen the Tottenham team even further as they look to continue building momentum in pursuit of success and glory this term.