Former Juventus midfielder Dejan Kulusevski is delighted to get his Tottenham career off to a winning start.
Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur came off the bench in Saturday’s FA Cup fourth-round 3-1 win over Brighton, with manager Antonio Conte saying afterwards he wanted the deadline-day signings from Juventus to get an immediate taste of the intensity of English football.
Conte is renowned for his gruelling training regime and Kulusevski said: “I love suffering! That’s one thing about me, from when I was born. I love to work hard and I’ve already seen how they work [at Spurs]. It’s incredible.
“Even after the game we had a crazy session. The training here is much more different from Italy — in a very good way. People are running faster, everything is faster to try to get us stronger.”
Harry Kane’s double and a Solly March own goal earned Spurs victory over Brighton, who briefly halved the deficit through Yves Bissouma, to set up a fifth-round tie at Middlesbrough.
Kulusevski, 21, played the final 25 minutes and saw plenty of the ball in a series of late counter-attacks, while midfielder Bentancur caught the eye with some deft touches.
Asked if Conte was a factor in him joining the club on an initial 18-month loan deal, Sweden international Kulusevski said: “He was everything.
“Firstly, it’s a fantastic club and he has very good training, very good tactics, his staff are fantastic. This week has been really amazing and I’m very, very honoured to be here. Conte is a winner and I want to be a winner.”
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