Swedish goalkeeper Oscar Jansson has opened up on his experiences as a Tottenham Hotspur player, revealing his strong bond with academy coach Perry Suckling, what made Gareth Bale and Harry Kane superstars, and why Spurs fans would welcome Bale back with "open arms".
Jansson, who has spent the last seven years at hometown club Orebro SK, played for Spurs between 2007 and 2012 alongside the likes of Kane and Bale in the youth academy, before spending a season as the club's third-choice goalkeeper under Juande Ramos.
The recently reappointed Suckling was largely responsible for bringing Jansson to the club and nurturing him through his teenage years, and the 29-year-old was full of praise for his mentor, who has invited Jansson to speak to the current Spurs academy goalkeepers to provide some tutoring during lockdown.
"I couldn't talk highly enough of Perry," he told Tribal Football. "He is the one who had the most influence on my career so far, and he is always there to pick up the phone if I call. He took me to Spurs and he had me there for five years, and obviously just for him to pick up the phone means a lot to me still."
Jansson was keen to mark out what makes Suckling so special.
"It was different with Perry from a lot of goalkeeper coaches. I heard this rumour that when I move to England they'll try to forge you into this English style goalkeeper, but Perry never did that. He let me be me and improve on my techniques, and he was always keen to hear about what I'd learnt from a young age."
The two most high-profile players to develop at Spurs while Jansson was at the club were Kane and Bale, and it might surprise supporters to hear that the former didn't always look destined for the top.
"[Kane] wasn't the fastest or the strongest. If I was to pick someone to be a star from that group, he wouldn't be in the top five, six, or seven. We had an unbelievable age group, and Harry was good, just not as good as some of the others.
"But then he always had that ability to motivate himself to train extra, to do extra fitness. He's always been a great striker of the ball, a good finisher, it's just that at the time he wasn't as good as others in the age group."
Jansson believes it was Kane's now-famous hard work and determination that ultimately gave him the edge.
"I think it was stubbornness and consistency; wanting to train and do that little bit extra every day, then obviously when he got out on loan he scored goals. I couldn't be more respectful of him, because what he's achieved is just down to him. I take my hat off to him."
Things were much clearer when it came to Real Madrid star Bale, who arrived at Spurs from Southampton with expectations sky high.
"Bale was an easier one than seeing Harry being a big star! He always had that aura around him that he was an unbelievable talent - just a star – and it was just a question of when he was going to explode. Gareth trained extra and always believed in himself, and once he got his chance at left-back because of an injury you couldn't keep him out of the team.
"I know that he was close to leaving Spurs before that even happened, that's just the daily life of being a footballer - you need to get the chance, and when you get it you need to take it. He was always good.
"I think Tottenham fans would take Bale back with arms wide open. It's just about what he wants to do. I don't think he'll leave Real Madrid before his contract is up."
