Destiny Udogie admits Guglielmo Vicario is a huge miss for Tottenham on and off the pitch, and makes a confession about the goalkeeper playing through a fracture against Manchester City.
It is difficult to overstate the importance of Vicario to the Tottenham side, with the Italian not just being a world-class shot-stopper, but also being crucial to helping the side play out from the back.
While Fraser Forster is an experienced campaigner and has proven to have a reliable pair of hands, he will not quite be able to offer what the Italian can, particularly in terms of decision-making on the ball.
With the Tottenham number one expected to be out of action for several months with a fractured ankle, it has been reported that Spurs are now considering adding another goalkeeper to their squad in January (talkSPORT).
Apart from Vicario‘s ability on the pitch, Udogie has now admitted that the goalkeeper’s leadership will also be missed.
The 28-year-old was added to Tottenham’s leadership group by Ange Postecoglou back in the summer, which demonstrates his standing among the squad.
Speaking about his compatriot’s injury, Udogie told Football.London: “We’re going to miss him. In the group, he’s a great leader and a great player, he will be missed. During the game, he had a bad fracture of his ankle but to keep going showed a lot of character.”
He added: “I spoke to him on the day after, asked how was going, and he told me had the operation and will be out for a while. We are just waiting for him to be back.”
After having surgery on his fracture on Monday, Vicario admitted on social media that he had played more than an hour against Man City with the fracture.
That has left Spurs fans astonished, particularly considering the way the goalkeeper was flinging himself at shots to make crucial saves.
However, Udogie is not surprised to learn that about Vicario, admitting that he always knew the former Empoli man had a strong mentality.
When asked about Vicario playing with a fractured ankle, the left-back said: “Honestly, I always knew Vicario was different, he is a great guy with a strong mentality. For him to play 60 minutes with a fractured ankle says a lot about him and I really respect that.
“As a big brother, I know it is hard when you go and have an operation. I just wish him the best and can’t wait for him to be back.”
The post Destiny Udogie admits Tottenham are missing a ‘great leader’ appeared first on Spurs Web.
