Tottenham defender Davinson Sanchez was recruited off a park in Colombia, it has been revealed.

Juan Carlos Osorio, who worked with Sanchez as coach of Atletico Nacional, has recalled how he first spotted the defender playing park football with friends.

He told Sky Sports: "So at the end of the day I asked him if he wanted to come to Nacional. He was seventeen. The only thing was that at that moment he played as a central midfielder, I said to him: 'I see that you have the qualities to play as a central defender'. He accepted the challenge and went to Medellín, where he trained for two years and debuted at the age of nineteen.

"He eventually won the Copa Libertadores and then he went to Ajax. I can still remember that he called me and asked if he should go to Ajax or to Barcelona, who also showed interest. I thought it would be best for him to play and at Barcelona he might have less playing time, maybe he would be a substitute.

"So we made a decision and he went to the Netherlands. He played a very good season and Tottenham decided to make work of his arrival. It's fantastic to see how a player can advance so fast in a short time.

"He called a few times and still have a good relationship. He feels very happy with his club and he has already become a better player," continues Osorio. "With Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld, two central defenders of that calibre, they have also made him better, so I think he thinks that's all great.

"He is already at a top club and I think that the future depends entirely on him and how seriously he continues to train. Given his age (21 years old), his future looks good, he can play at a very high level."