Prior to their Premier League match on Thursday, Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou lauded Destiny Udogie at his pre-match press conference.
The Spurs manager praised the 21-year-old full-back as “so quick and so powerful,” adding that he doesn’t want to limit his skill set due to regulations.
When Tottenham Hotspur Stadium hosts West Ham on Thursday at 8:15 p.m., they will be looking to win their first game in five.
This season, Udogie has been a revelation for the Spurs, starting every game for Postecoglou and making an impression on the left side of defense. This season, he has only missed two games.
The 21-year-old missed both the Wolves loss following his dismissal at Chelsea and the October victory against Crystal Palace due to a muscular ailment.
Tottenham star Destiny Udogie needs that part of his game – Ange Postecoglou
With four yellows on his record right now, Udogie is teetering on the verge of yet another suspension. Cristian Romero would also receive a four-match suspension for a second straight red card.
Postecoglou was questioned about whether he should “police that with the group” or if the players take care of things on their own, according to statements that football.london transcribed.
“A blend of both,” declared the Tottenham manager. “Look, they are placed in that position as defenders, and I believe Destiny has been unlucky on a few occasions.”
But as a defender, especially in the Premier League, you also need that aspect of your game to be present.
“You are up against some of the world’s top attackers and offensive players.
“Physicality is a big element of what they bring to the game, and we don’t want to take that away from Destiny in especially since he is such a speedy and strong full-back.
However, the consequences for those kinds of actions go beyond receiving a yellow or red card when it comes to discipline.
The way you conduct yourself on the football field and the way we play both follow a disciplined approach. Each of those items has an impact.
With Udogie, Tottenham has truly struck gold. He looks like a top-tier Premier League player at just 21 years old, and Spurs only paid £21 million for him (ESPN).
It goes without saying that Udogie’s game will still require some fine-tuning, but as Postecoglou pointed out, this can’t come at the expense of what makes him such a strong player.
Achieving that balance is crucial, and part of it will come with experience as Udogie plays more and more games and gains more and more insight from the practice field.
