Former Leeds United midfielder Michael Bridges claims that one Tottenham star looks a lot leaner and fitter than he did last season.
Tottenham attacker has gone to the next level
Dejan Kulusevski is now finally starting to fulfil the potential he has always had, with the Swede taking his game to the next level since being moved into the attacking midfield role.
The 24-year-old is regularly making the difference in the final third for Spurs with goals and assists, while opposition sides are also struggling to cope with his running power in the middle of the park.
The former Juventus man is in a league of his own when it comes to distance covered per 90 minutes, averaging nearly half a kilometre more than the man in second place, Tomas Soucek (BBC Sport).
Michael Bridges has spotted a difference
Bridges has admitted that his main gripe with Kulusevski in the past was his lack of consistency, which the Tottenham man has now addressed. The pundit put the attacker’s success this season down to his improved fitness.
The 46-year-old said on the Optus Sport Football Podcast: “My biggest criticism has been of Kulusevski that he hasn’t been consistent. He hasn’t looked as fit as what I think he can do in the past seasons. I will say under Ange, he looks as lean as I’ve ever seen him.
“Like you say, the new position seems to suit him and he’s playing the style of football that he is absolutely relishing. So I think it’s a match made in heaven with the way Ange has got him playing and what he’s doing. And Ange has given him the freedom.”
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Dejan Kulusevski admits change to the training regiment
While Kulusevski has always been one of the fittest players in the Premier League, he seems to have taken his fitness up another notch or two this season.
Following Tottenham’s win over West Ham, the Sweden international admitted that he made changes to the way he trained in the summer, which has helped him get the best out of his body.
Kulusevski told SpursPlay: “Every season I just get better and better because I understand what I am doing wrong and I’m understanding things to improve.
“This was my plan in the summer, to work on the things I want to work on so I changed my mindset and I even started training even more than before and this is only the beginning. I know I can play much better than this so I just want to keep on improving and become one of the best players in the world.”
When the host Ben Haines asked if he meant physically, the Tottenham man responded: “Yeah, absolutely. I changed my training routine and that’s why you can’t understand everything when you’re young. Every year you get experience and you improve on every side of the football.”