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Bryan Gil left Sevilla for Tottenham Hotspur last summer and went on to struggle in his first few months in England.

The winger was restricted to just 86 minutes of action from nine Premier League matches and the situation was not made easier with the north London club replacing Nuno Espírito Santo with Antonio Conte in November 2021.

In search of more prominence, the 21-year-old returned to La Liga in the winter market when Valencia took him on a loan deal until the end of the season.

The Spain U21 international has featured regularly for Los Ches, making five starts in all competitions. He is in contention to start the Copa del Rey semi-final clash against Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday. The first leg ended in a 1-1 draw.

Ahead of the match at the Mestalla, AS had a chat the Tottenham owned player. When asked whether he joined Valencia because of the possibility to play a cup final with them, he said: “I came to Valencia to be able to fight to play matches like this.

“For me, winning a title at my age would be a dream and I knew that Valencia was in the fight to reach the final. Obviously, I came because at Tottenham I wasn’t playing the minutes that every player wants and here they told me that if I earned them, I would have them.”

Gil also talked about how the physicality in England is now helping him at Valencia.

“In the Premier League, training sessions are very physical, very hard, and it has helped me not to notice fatigue now,” Gil explained.

“Yes. It is [physicality] very noticeable, really. It is a slightly higher level of intensity. I physically noticed it. The adaptation for me was difficult. It is a very physical football, back and forth. Being there has been good for me. I am more mature. 

“I changed habits like eating, I had a chef at home and I gained two kilos. Even so, I noticed that it was not enough for the physical level that exists in the Premier League.

“At Valencia, I continue to work hard on endurance, physicality, in case I have to come back, to be prepared.”

When further pressed whether he sees himself back at Spurs, the Spaniard explained: “I belong to Tottenham and they are the ones who have to decide. It’s not up to me. That will depend on the clubs [Gil staying at Valencia beyond this season].”