Fernando Llorente admits he was unsure earlier this month whether he would be staying at Tottenham, but said Mauricio Pochettino has given him the confidence to score goals in Harry Kane’s absence.
Llorente has generally struggled for game time since joining Spurs and, given he is out of contract in the summer, a January exit seemed possible when the window opened.
However, Kane suffered an ankle ligament injury on Jan. 13 and Llorente has started all four of Tottenham’s matches since, scoring twice — including the 87th-minute winner in Wednesday’s 2-1 win over Watford.
Asked whether there was a point earlier this month when he thought he might be leaving the club, Llorente said: “I couldn’t imagine, no? It’s a long season and things can happen like injuries. Now I’m very happy because it was an important chance for me. I know I have to do my best and I’m very happy to help the team with this important goal.
“It’s probably the most important goal I’ve scored here at Tottenham. It was my dream. When you dream of days like this and finally it happens, it’s amazing. It’s really difficult because Harry’s one of the best in the world. The most difficult thing is to [stay] fit when you don’t play, because the only way to be fit is to play 90 minutes. Now I feel every game I feel much better.”
Pochettino has consistently expressed his faith in Llorente and the Spaniard ran to the touchline and celebrated with his manager after his decisive header.
“I went crazy, I don’t know why,” he said. “When the manager has confidence in you, it’s everything. The same player with confidence can do a lot of things and make a massive difference compared to when he hasn’t got it.
“He’s massively important. I think I needed it, in this moment, to get confidence and to do my best. “It’s difficult because in all my career I always played. I’m a player who feels really good when I play but it’s really difficult when you don’t — mentally, everything.
“You have to work a lot and be ready and believe in that moment. [The goal] was a gift to him [Pochettino], a gift to the supporters and to all the team because we deserved the win.”
Son Heung-Min also scored a crucial goal against Watford, netting the 80th-minute equaliser in his first appearance since returning from the Asian Cup. The South Korean was pleased to make an impact after watching helplessly from afar as his injury-hit teammates first lost to Chelsea in the Carabao Cup semifinals and then exited the FA Cup in his absence.
“When I saw the Fulham game, we scored in the last minute and of course I was happy but also Dele [Alli] was injured, and it hurt,” said Son. “When you go away and your team go out of a semifinal in the cup game, and the FA Cup, it just hurt. It hurt like you can’t even imagine. But in football, in three days or one week you can make it better.
“I followed it when I was in the Asian Games in Indonesia [in the summer] and I followed it this time as well. If I don’t follow then I can’t sleep!”
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