Cristian Stellini has hailed Pape Matar Sarr as a "great player with many possibilities" after starring for Tottenham of late. Wowing Antonio Conte ahead of the Premier League returning for business, the Senegal ace has made quite an impression off the bench in Spurs' last two games against Aston Villa and Crystal Palace.
Sarr could now be in line for more minutes in Tottenham's FA Cup third round clash against Portsmouth on Saturday afternoon. Pitch time is going to be key to helping the ex-Metz man go up a level or two, as is time on the training ground with Conte and the rest of the coaching staff.
Speaking ahead of Spurs' FA Cup fixture against the League One outfit, Stellini was asked by football.london about Sarr and their work together at Hotspur Way. Hailing the 2021 summer addition, the assistant head coach revealed that they have been working a lot on body position with the 20-year-old.
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"He's a very young player. It's the first time he came to England. He has one year experience in Ligue 1 in France," said the Italian. "About his skill, he can do everything because he's a great player with many possibility. He's a midfielder who can play in many positions. He's a talented player.
"I spoke at my last press conference about the way you have to wait with young players. If you use young players at the wrong time, you can make a mistake. But with Pape, Antonio decided at this moment that Pape is ready and he improved a lot in training.
"We worked a lot on body position and many skills he has to improve. He showed a desire to improve and this is very important for us. If you work with a player and they show this desire it's easier. With Pape it is easy.
"He has to continue to work because we have a hierarchy, so he has to respect this and we have to respect the players. He has the possibility now and he has to show his desire and his quality."
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