Pape Matar Sarr has opened up on his footballing journey and admitted that he is really enjoying being part of the current Tottenham outfit.
At 21 years of age, Sarr has already been part of an AFCON-winning Senegal side, has played in the World Cup, and is now an important cog in the midfield of a team sitting at the top of the Premier League table.
The hallmark of his game so far has been the ground he covers off the ball, constantly helping put out fires whenever Spurs lose possession, and he has now revealed that his work ethic was something that was instilled into him from a very young age.
Sarr told The Daily Mail: “My first contact with football was in Thies where I grew up in Senegal. I grew up in a footballing family, they drilled a hard-working mentality into me regarding football. They always prepared me to be successful.
“My dad was a manager. I was afraid of the comments he was going to make about me. It was a plus for me as he was often giving advice after games.”
LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 16: Pape Sarr of Tottenham Hotspur during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Sheffield United at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on September 16, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Mark Leech/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
Pape Matar Sarr has had a tough journey to the top
Sarr admitted that he had to make some big sacrifices to be able to rise to the top of the game, but insisted that he enjoyed his development journey back in his home country.
He explained: “Even in Senegal I left my family at a young age to live in Dakar. It’s not easy being so far away. I owe it all to my family, they’re a huge part of my success.
“I went through the Generation Foot academy. We would arrive on Monday and return home on Saturday. We were young lads. It felt like we were a real family. Every day we were together, it was such a beautiful experience.”
That family feel is something that Sarr has also found in North London, with the youngster often seen with a smile on his face during training.
Speaking about life at Tottenham, he said: “Here, we are a family. I am someone who likes to have fun and live in the present, I’m here to make the most of my time with my teammates.”
Spurs Web Opinion
The family feel that Sarr is talking about is apparent with the players’ body language and they clearly seem to be playing for one another. It is quite surprising how quickly the side has managed to build that sort of comradery, given the massive amount of player turnover that occurred this summer.
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