Tottenham defender Japhet Tanganga says a spell with the club's ground staff gave him a needed reality check as a teen.

Tanganga has revealed he worked with the Tottenham ground staff during his time with the Under-18s, a period that made him realise how hard he would need to work to achieve his goals.

“Honestly, looking back at it now, I would say that was the turning point," Tanganga told Tottenham's website. “That was when the penny dropped, just seeing how passionate the ground staff were in their job.

"You're coming in early, it's cold, you're working outside, but the passion that they have for how they work, maintaining the pitches, placing the flowers around the edge of the training ground, how precise they are and how they pay attention to detail.

"It's amazing and it made me realise that I do love football and whether things are or aren't going my way, this is my passion and I've just got to take it seriously. I've been given a gift to be able to play football so I shouldn't misuse it."