Destiny Udogie has revealed that he is working hard on the training ground to learn as much as possible about his new role from Ange Postecoglou and his coaching staff.
Udogie, much like Pedro Porro on the other flank, played exclusively as a wing-back over the last few years, but his transition to the inverted full-back role has been almost seamless.
Given the calmness that he exudes, it is hard to believe that the Italian is only 20 years of age, with the youngster having the demeanour of a much more experienced player.
Udogie admitted that he is keeping his head down and continuing to work hard instead of getting carried away by the start he has had to life in the Premier League.
The left-back told Tottenham’s matchday programme (via Football.London): “Ange and his staff work really well together. We trust the manager, the way he makes us train, shows us how to play and how to stay calm under pressure.
“I think every manager teaches you something new and the gaffer is teaching me how to play inside more so I’m getting used to it and developing a lot.
“We train very hard every day, so we want to be able to run more than the other teams. We try to be fit so if we lose the ball, we are ready to counter-press the opponent and this is something the gaffer wants from us as players, so we have to keep the strong spirit and work hard every day.”
LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 24: Destiny Udogie of Tottenham Hotspur controls the ball during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Tottenham Hotspur at Emirates Stadium on September 24, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
Destiny Udogie was a big fan of Marcelo
The former Udinese man revealed that he idolised Marcelo while growing up and explained that he closely analyses each of his performances in order to improve different aspects of his game.
He added: “I grew up watching a lot of clips of Marcelo, I was such a big fan. I loved the way he played under pressure and had the quality on the ball, but now I’ve matured I like to watch myself play to analyse where I’m sometimes making mistakes and where I can improve my game.
“I’m trying to study the role as much as I can in the new position because I was a wing-back but now I’m playing inside more so it’s really different. You have to read the game, know the timing and get into good spaces so I’m getting used to it – more with every game and with the help from Ange, his staff and my teammates I can feel myself improving.”
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While Udogie’s ability is there for all to see, it is also evident from his interviews that he is extremely driven to keep improving and has his feet firmly planted on the ground.
Those characteristics pretty much guarantee that he is going to become one of the best in the world in his position in the years to come.
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