Tottenham may now be a chapter in Carlos Vinícius’ past, but it remains the club he references most when discussing the biggest influences on his career.
The former Spurs striker, who enjoyed a remarkable return to Brazil with Grêmio in 2025, sat down with Globo Esporte and delivered a lengthy reflection on his experiences in north London, offering fresh stories about José Mourinho, Harry Kane, Gareth Bale, Son Heung-min and Lucas Moura.
Mourinho remains his biggest reference
The striker was asked which coach had developed his game the most. He did not hesitate.
“With group management, with knowing how to win, with understanding the game like nobody else, José Mourinho.”
Vinícius explained that Mourinho’s reading of matches was unlike anything he had previously experienced.
“We’d go into a game and he’d say: ‘This is going to happen, this is going to happen, this is going to happen for the positive, and this is going to happen for the negative.’ Then the game would unfold and you’d already know it.”
The Brazilian made clear that his admiration extends beyond football achievements.
“To me, he’s the one I respect the most. I realised it’s not only because of the titles, but because of the person, the way he leads, the way he is. For me, Mourinho is top. The greatest of all.”
The FaceTime call that changed everything
Vinícius then shared the story of how his relationship with Mourinho started before he even arrived at Tottenham.
He recalled being told that Mourinho would call him personally once the move was close. Initially, he did not believe it.
“When they told me Mourinho was going to call me, I thought it was nonsense.”
Then his phone rang. “He called me on FaceTime. I looked at the screen and thought: ‘No way.’”
Instead of a serious football discussion, Mourinho immediately joked with him.
“He asked me how I was and then said: ‘Look, don’t come here wearing flip-flops because it’s cold here.’”
The comment instantly broke the ice. And Vinícius admitted that he expected the version of Mourinho usually seen in interviews and press conferences.
“I imagined the angry Mourinho. The Mourinho we see from the outside.”
Instead, he found someone very different.
“He started sending me messages. Like any other member of the club. Like a coordinator. Then I arrived and he would talk to me. Sometimes I thought: ‘My God, is this really the real Mourinho?’”
“I’ve seen you’re one of mine”
One of the stories that stayed with him most happened shortly after he arrived.
While expecting to be integrated immediately into the main group preparing for matches, Vinícius instead found himself repeatedly training with players who were not involved in the next game. He could not understand why.
“I kept training and training, and he’d just walk past me.”
The striker even joked that Spurs hero Lucas Moura would recognise Mourinho’s mannerisms.
“He’d come over with his hands in his jacket and say: ‘You’re training very well, keep going.’”
Yet Vinícius remained confused.
“Training well? Then put me in the pitch!”
Concerned that he had somehow disappointed the manager, he approached Tottenham’s coaching staff.
“I asked the assistants what I’d done wrong. I thought I was dead.”
The answer was simple: “Just keep working.”
And he did. After around a week and a half, Mourinho finally explained everything.
“He came to me and said: ‘You did not stop working. Now I’ve seen you’re one of mine. I can count on you.’”
Vinícius believes he had been tested throughout the entire period.
“He was testing me. Those are things that are very difficult to explain and very difficult to learn on coaching courses.”
Kane, Bale, Son and Lucas Moura
The interview also saw Vinícius discuss some of the biggest names he shared a dressing room with at Tottenham.
“The one who really caught my attention was Harry Kane, because that’s the maximum level”, he said.
“One thing that really caught my attention about Harry Kane was that he’d score a hat-trick and the next morning nothing had changed. He’d just continue with his training. He’s one of the most complete players I’ve ever seen.”
He kept going.
“I’d even say a lot of people don’t understand what Harry Kane really is. He’s at an absurd level. Everything you can talk about when it comes to football, Harry Kane has it.”
It is not the first time he name-dropped Kane with admiration. However, he was quick to mention others.
“Bale as well. Son was top for me too. Lucas Moura as well.”
Because Kane was usually focused on Premier League matches while Vinícius featured more often in cup and Europa League games, he ended up spending more time on the pitch alongside Lucas Moura. That proved particularly important because of a practical problem.
“When I arrived at Tottenham, my English was null.”
Vinícius laughed as he reflected on those early days. “Not that I’m fluent now, but at least I don’t go hungry anymore.”
Lucas Moura helped him settle. “With Lucas, there was a really good connection.”
For a striker who has rebuilt his career after leaving England, those memories clearly remain vivid. And among all the clubs he represented abroad, it is Tottenham that still provides most of the lessons and stories he chooses to tell.
