Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou has explained exclusively to FourFourTwo what he always looks for in a new signing
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Ange Postecoglou has had a fine start to life at Tottenham Hotspur – with some key recruits playing their part.
James Maddison, Micky van de Ven and Guglielmo Vicario have been among those who have starred since joining Spurs in the summer, as the club have surged to the top of the Premier League.
Postecoglou believes that, at the top level, signing players with the requisite ability is the easy bit – the most crucial part is always finding recruits who have the right personality and characteristics to fit the way he wants to play.
Micky van de Ven has been a big success at Tottenham (Image credit: Getty Images)
“I mean first, I don’t see them as players – they’re people,” he said during an exclusive interview for the current issue of FourFourTwo.
“Particularly when you get to this level, there are so many wonderfully talented players around the world. People talk about recruiting, but it’s pretty hard to get it wrong as they’re all so good.
VIDEO: Ange Postecoglou: "We Want To Achieve Things That Have Never Been Achieved Before"
“It’s more about the fit. Do they fit into the football we want to play? Are they the right kind of personality? That’s a big one for me – with the way we play, you need to have a certain mindset as an individual, to be brave and to want to challenge yourself on a daily basis.
Get FourFourTwo Newsletter
The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.
“That’s why, before we sign anyone, I always have a little bit of a chat to the player, just to get a feel for the kind of person they are. Not to pass any sort of judgement on them, but to see if they really understand, and what’s their motivation for coming to us.”
Chris joined FourFourTwo in 2015 and has reported from more than 20 countries, in places as varied as Ivory Coast and the Arctic Circle. He's interviewed Pele, Zlatan and Santa Claus (it's a long story), as well as covering the World Cup, AFCON and the Clasico. He previously spent 10 years as a newspaper journalist, and completed the 92 in 2017.
