- EXCLUSIVE: By Alessandro Schiavone
Ryan Sessegnon: With Conte I can be myself. And hopefully Newcastle beat Arsenal
Ryan Sessegnon revealed that Antonio Conte has had a tremendous impact on his career as the Italian’s trust in him is allowing him to be himself on the pitch.
The Championship’s 2018 Player of the Season struggled for game time in his first season in N17 following a big-money £25m move from Fulham four years ago.
But after a fruitful loan spell at Bundesliga club TSG Hoffenheim in which he earned his stripes last term, he has grown in confidence.
And as a result his displays have also drastically picked up.
But it’s the serial winner’s arrival that changed the landscape for the 22-year-old, who spoke to Capital Football after Tottenham’s 1-0 win over Burnley.
He said: “Conte gave me licence to be myself, to go free, go one v one.
“In the final third he wants me to be positive to get crosses.
“And that’s what I did today.”
He reflected on his season-long loan spell in Germany, where he racked up 29 appearances, scoring twice and setting up three.
He said: “It was good. I went out there and played a lot of games.
“I learned a lot about myself as a person and as a footballer. I think at that point of my career it was very vital [to get regular game time].”
Sessegnon hasn’t denied that he will be watching Arsenal’s clash with Newcastle tonight, hoping to see the Gunners slip up and lose vital points in their race for the Champions League.
Mikel Arteta’s men trail Tottenham by two points in fifth but have a game in hand.
When asked if he will be cheering on the Magpies in front of the telly, Sessegnon said: “Exactly. But I don’t think we will be all together.
“But of course, all of us will probably be watching.”
But however it goes at St James’ Park tonight, Tottenham still have “a job to do” next Sunday against relegated Norwich at Carrow Road.
He added: “We won’t take the game at Norwich lightly.
“There’s still a job to be done, we go there to play our game and win the game.”
