Pape Matar Sarr has been speaking candidly about his struggles breaking into the first team at Tottenham Hotspur last season, and admitted Yves Bissouma was a great source of support for him at that time.
Since signing for Tottenham, Pape Matar Sarr has found first-team opportunities hard to come by. The youngster spent the 2021/22 campaign on loan at his former club, Metz, in the French league and continued to build on his growing reputation.
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The Senegalese midfielder came back to Spurs last season, but was limited to just 14 first-team appearances under Antonio Conte (Transfermarkt).
It can be difficult to make an impression in just 466 minutes of football, but Sarr won the admiration of the Tottenham fans with glimpses of promise.
Sarr now has a real chance to press on and become a first-team regular under Ange Postecoglou, having featured heavily in pre-season.
Sarr describes Yves Bissouma as his big brother
In a new, in-depth interview with The Athletic, Sarr has been discussing his past, present, and future with Tottenham Hotspur, and praised his teammate, Yves Bissouma for the support he offered during last season.
Sarr said: “It was not so easy at the start but [Bissouma] gave and still gives me lots of advice both on and off the pitch. I am close to Bissouma, he’s my big brother. We have a special relationship.
“Having him there to guide me was very helpful. We talked a lot and I was alone in my own place at the beginning, so he invited me over and we’d spend afternoons together at his place.
“He’d talk to me a lot and helped me through those initial stages. We would spend the days together and I owe him a debt of gratitude for that.
“He gave me lots of advice about life in England in general and the training regime and what to expect. It was quite hard for me coming to London from France with the changes, like the weather.
“Everything changed for me. He helped me with how to live well in London, where to go and how to be a citizen in England. He was a great help to me. We are all family here. All the players, we’re all friends, we’re all tight together.”
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By all accounts, Yves Bissouma is a great guy to have at the club and is regularly helping the younger players around him.
Hopefully, both Bissouma and Sarr can have brilliant seasons this year, and if they play together their special bond could help them perform especially well in the midfield.
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