Speaking to Football Insider, pundit Noel Whelan has urged promising young Spurs talent and January signing Steven Bergwijn to challenge superstar Gareth Bale for a starting place – going on to claim he needs to have the right attitude.
Bergwijn, who was recently sent home from international duty after suffering from fitness issues, with De Telegraaf reporting that there was a groin problem, could now face a recovery spell while his teammates travel the world.
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Bergwijn urged to work
Whether or not he will be back in time to face Man City, akin to his brilliant debut, remains to be seen – but Whelan has now urged the talent to pull his socks up and work to compete with Bale.
Described as a player who ‘oozed talent’ coming through by Dutch ex-professional footballer Edwin de Wijs, manager Jose Mourinho also called the 23-year-old ‘fantastic‘.
Now, Football Insider pundit Whelan has claimed he must build upon his potential after Daniel Levy paid a lofty £27 million to bring him to north London.
“I can see him establishing himself as a first-team regular at Tottenham, but when you’ve got players of Gareth Bale’s quality and ability with the other wingers that are there, it’s very competitive in the wide positions.
“He’s a very good player, that’s the reason why Jose Mourinho brought him in.
“Jose doesn’t just pick players because he needs to bolster his squad, he picks players because they make everything competitive.
“He will get the opportunity but when it does come around, he’s got to show the manager that he deserves it.”
Transfer Tavern take
Bergwijn has been unable to muster regular minutes in the Premier League this season, starting just once since the beginning of 2020/2021 (WhoScored), but the barely-seen talent has been urged to fight for a place at Spurs.
He shines in flashes, with supporters potentially hoping he can take his form to a more consistent level as and when called upon.
In other news: Tottenham have been dealt a potential blow regarding Gareth Bale, find out more here.
