'Post Son Heung-min' hopeful Xavi Simons (23, Tottenham) is heating up fans' hearts by reenacting Son Heung-min's (34, LAFC) devoted attitude.
British outlet Court of Offside on the 19th (KST), citing talkSPORT, reported that Tottenham's key midfielder Simons voluntarily returned the five days of leave granted by the club and remained at the Hotspur Way training ground to focus on individual training.
Tottenham's leave for the squad was provided as a squad refresh after the setback of the defeat to Newcastle United and the dismissal of manager Thomas Frank.
In fact, most of the Tottenham squad went to resorts to rest and recover. But Simons made the dramatic move of staying alone at the training ground. The outlet emphasized that this was solely for the north London derby against rival Arsenal to be held on the 23rd.
Simons' decision appears to have been inspired by the professionalism long shown by the team's symbol Son Heung-min. Son has always put the team ahead of himself and was known for being meticulous about his body even during breaks.
Having inherited the No. 7 shirt that had become symbolic at Tottenham from Son Heung-min, Simons is naturally putting devotion into practice and steadying the team's atmosphere.
This decision by Simons is also likely to strongly appeal to interim manager Igor Tudor (48), who newly took the reins. The Tudor regime has signaled intense training and mental toughness. Simons' 'returning leave' is nothing short of a powerful message to that atmosphere.
A Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) youth product, Simons left solid marks at every club he has been at. He stood out with 22 goals and 24 assists in 78 appearances for Leipzig, and recorded 22 goals and 11 assists in 48 appearances for PSV Eindhoven.
However, Simons has so far recorded 2 goals and 5 assists in 31 matches for Tottenham. That is enough to draw criticism that manager Frank did not utilize Simons properly. He also recorded 1 assist in 11 appearances for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG)'s first team.
Tottenham's current situation is dire. They have fallen to 16th in the league (29 points), only 5 points above the relegation zone. As the season progresses and Simons gradually regains confidence, his expected 'killer pass' ability is likely to inject more energy into Tottenham.
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