EPL manager Mourinho 'just wants to keep winning,' says Spurs' new recruit Bergwijn
Newly-recruited EPL star Steven Bergwijn revealed he had a conversation with Tottenham Hotspur boss José Mourinho before his transfer. The Dutch winger spent eight long years at PSV Eindhoven and made a name for himself in the Eredivisie. After being courted by several EPL clubs over the years including the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea, and others, Bergwijn finally made the switch in 2020.
The 22-year-old was purchased by Spurs for a fee of £27m in January as they looked for reinforcements in attack. The move was in the aftermath of Harry Kane's horrific long-term injury which was set to keep him out of action for the entirety of the season.
Mourinho is 'unique' says EPL youngster Bergwijn
Speaking to Voetbal International, Bergwijn opened up on his budding relationship with José Mourinho and heaped heavy praise on the coach. The Dutchman believes that Mourinho is someone who wants to keep winning games and looks to instil that mentality. Bergwijn began;
"The image people have of him [José Mourinho] is exactly what he wants. That makes him unique, I think. Mourinho just wants to win; he radiates that in everything. At the same time, he loves his players."
The EPL youngster went on to talk about his conversation with Mourinho prior to his move to England. Bergwijn said that Mourinho just wanted to get to know about the 22-year-old. He continued,
"Before the transfer was completed, he called me, we Facetimed. He wanted to know everything about me and of course when I would come and when I would train for the first time.
Bergwijn also noted that the EPL manage showed a lot of confidence in him which helped him immensely in his adaptation period. He added;
"[José] Mourinho has a lot of confidence in me, which is partly why I felt at home so quickly, I think."
The 22-year-old has managed five EPL starts for Tottenham since his arrival and before the COVID-19 lockdown was put into effect. In that period, the energetic winger scored two EPL goals, including an absolutely scintillating strike on his debut against Manchester City. The other came in a game against Wolves where Spurs ultimately went on to lose the game.
Bergwijn also remarked on the stylistic differences between the EPL and Eredivisie. He explained;
"All defenders in England are incredibly strong. And in the Netherlands almost every club wants to build from the back. Not here. With some teams, the ball is simply rammed forward, and they watch the strikers and midfielders fight it out."
Despite many EPL teams playing in the manner that Bergwijn described, the Dutchman believes that side have a different approach. He went on to explain how they play differently. Most importantly, he feels that sealing the three points is more important than focusing on the approach to play football. He ended, saying,
"It is different with us; we want to build up with Tottenham and make the game from ball possession. But if that doesn’t work, then we won’t keep trying endlessly. Then it must be different. Getting three points is much more important here than the way you play football."
He is in line to start for Spurs when they welcome Manchester United on Friday night to mark the resumption of their EPL season.