Matt Doherty’s impressive display in Spurs win goes under radar

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Tottenham Hotspur fans were given a lot more to smile about on Wednesday as Jose Mourinho’s men booked their spot in the next round of the Europa League in some style.

A 4-0 win saw the likes of Gareth Bale, Dele Alli and Dane Scarlett all enjoy moments in the spotlight.

But perhaps there was another display that deserves a little more credit.

Matt Doherty was making his first appearance since a report from ESPN cast doubt over his future. It was claimed that Mourinho is not convinced by the 29-year-old. And it was suggested that he could potentially be given the green light to leave in the summer.

Doherty has not had the best time in North London. And as things stand, you could understand if Spurs were indeed open to offers when the next window opens.

But perhaps his performance against Wolfsberger should provide reason for cautious optimism moving forward – particularly given what some of his teammates have achieved after seemingly being written off.

As shown by Whoscored.com, Doherty made three key passes during the win. No player on either side managed to make more than the Republic of Ireland international.

Meanwhile, he also won two aerial duels and three tackles. Again, he boasted top spot for the latter, with Erik Lamela and Dele winning two challenges.

And of course, it was Doherty who provided the assist for Dele’s sensational overhead kick.

The game saw Dele give the strongest hint yet that he is ready to complete a dramatic turnaround at Tottenham. And he is not the first player to tread down that path, with Tanguy Ndombele achieving similar after a tough first year in North London.

Admittedly, Doherty – who earns around £65,000-a-week, according to Spotrac – may have a tougher task. He is older than both Dele and Ndombele, and is not exactly a game-changer like his two teammates can be. So Spurs may be more inclined to accept a substantial offer that comes in for him.

However, the door is still open for Doherty to stamp his authority on the right-back spot in the side.

So following Wednesday, perhaps it should come as little surprise if Doherty does kick on from here and become the latest player to battle back from the brink.