Mauricio Pochettino has suggested Ryan Sessegnon’s ability to play in more than one position will be “very helpful” to Tottenham this season.
Sessegnon completed a deadline day move to Spurs after months of speculation but is yet to play for his new club having arrived with a hamstring injury. The teenager is finally back in training, though it is unlikely he will start against Crystal Palace on Saturday – check out our predicted XI here.
Having spent one season in the Premier League, in which he was relegated with Fulham and didn’t fulfil his obvious potential, Sessegnon will be hoping for an improved campaign this term. But Pochettino has admitted he does not know where on the pitch the England Under-21 international will be used.
“I cannot tell you today where he will play. We’ll see. Because [on Thursday] was the first day he was involved with the whole team and still he’s not had one tactical session with us,” said Pochettino (via the London Evening Standard).
“We were just six or seven players training in the last week and still I cannot tell if he’s going to play in one or another position. We’re going to assess him and we’ll see how he adapts.”
Sessegnon can play at left-back or further forward, something Pochettino believes can only be a good thing for the squad’s depth.
He added: “From the Championship with Fulham to Tottenham in the Champions League is going to be completely different. The good thing is that he has the capacity to play in different positions. It will be very helpful.”
Pochettino went on to claim that Tottenham is the best place for Sessegnon to develop as he will be following in the footsteps of other talented English youngsters.
“Ryan’s season [last term] shows that you can be a very good player, but you need a platform, team-mates and good coaching staff to help you,” the Argentinian said.
“And then you need time, luck, training hard and hard work. Sometimes people don’t realise that for a player with talent, to be successful you need a platform. And Tottenham, I hope, will provide Ryan with that platform.
“It’s the platform that provided for Dele Alli, Harry Kane and Harry Winks and other players who were very successful in their moment. I hope that happens with him, too, because he’s a great talent.”
There is a good chance Sessegnon will make his first start for the club when Spurs face Colchester United in the EFL Cup later this month.
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