Antonio Conte has been trying to build a strong and cohesive squad this summer, to prepare for the upcoming 2022/23 Premier League season. This has involved bringing in six new arrivals, seeing four players move away and working his squad hard in training.
Tottenham have won two and drawn one of their three pre-season friendlies so far, with their final fixture coming on Saturday, when they face Roma. This will give Spurs one final week to prepare to welcome Southampton to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, in their first league match.
Not only does Conte need to get some players out the door and ensure his new arrivals have settled in well, he also needs to continue to work with the players he had last season and those who will remain in N17. One player who has become key in the Italian's squad is Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.
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Last season the Dane made 48 appearances in all competitions and made seven goal contributions. It was the midfielder's second season in north London and he is someone Conte relied on all season.
Hojbjerg was creating a good bond in the centre of the field with Oliver Skipp, before the youngster's injury ended his season prematurely. Rodrigo Bentancur then arrived in the capital and the 26-year-old yet again built a strong on-field relationship with the Uruguayan.
Last season, Hojbjerg made an impact at both ends of the field. In the Premier League he produced 134 accurate long balls, had 31 shots and made 78 tackles. This earned him praise from the Tottenham boss on multiple occasions. "Pierre is another important player for us, he's young but he's more experienced that others and he's a good player," Conte said in February.
"Also Pierre, no one asked me about him, but I think in every game he is doing a fantastic job, with the ball, without the ball, strong physically," the Italian admitted two months later.
Hojbjerg and his boss clearly have a good understanding and relationship, with the Dane also praising his manager in April. "Antonio is a special coach, with a special way of doing things, with a very high level of performing. There is always a time of adaptation, a time of understanding the sports side and also the personal side, and everything is coming together well," he explained.
It is not just the 26-year-old's impact that is key for Conte, it is his leadership and influence, which sometimes goes unnoticed. Tottenham have previously been criticised for their lack of leaders, which former keeper Michel Vorm commented on last year.
"The situation over the past few years has been very up and down. I don't think Tottenham have a real old school leader in the squad that will say, 'boys, we need to change this around'."
However it seems that Hojbjerg could be this figure. The Dane is always quick to clap and encourage players on the pitch and has been seen doing it during pre-season. The midfielder also isn't afraid to shout at his teammates and let someone know when they are or are not doing something. Of course we don't see what goes on behind closed doors but his experience and being a senior member of the team, do seem to help him encourage and criticise, when needed.
Being a leader is a label Hojbjerg has had for a while, with goalkeeper Angus Gunn commenting on it, a few years ago while at Southampton. "He is a great leader. If I didn’t know how old he was, I definitely wouldn’t say he is 23 years old," he admitted.
This leadership can mean the Dane can help integrate new arrivals and hand down advice to younger players. His experience in the game can only help the youngsters in the team develop, which could be particularly useful when he plays with Skipp in midfield.
Hojbjerg has likely already helped Bentancur settle in, as the two built their on-field relationship last season and he could do the same with Yves Bissouma. Therefore Hojbjerg's impact can be seen on and off the pitch and is clearly one that is appreciated by Conte, with the 26-year-old potentially helping the Italian solve problems that have cropped up at Spurs in the past.
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