Clément Lenglet has told Gianluca Di Marzio that he learned a lot from working with Antonio Conte at Tottenham, but that it was certainly hard work.
The defender spent last season on loan at Spurs, where he made 35 appearances, out of which 27 were under the Italian’s orders.
Tottenham parted ways with Conte in March 2023 after a series of poor results. Although the situation at the club wasn’t ideal, the overall experience of working under the former Chelsea manager was positive for the 28-year-old.
“Being coached by him was fantastic, I improved a lot. His way of coaching could be summed up with the word ‘passion’. Try to push each player every day to reach a higher level. Sometimes he’s a bit harsh but he’s a strong coach: that’s what I needed to improve,” he said.
Gianluca Di Marzio says intensity, competitive spirit and passion were the three key points during every training session with Conte. The Frenchman claims his former manager’s methods during training helped him gain more confidence while on the pitch.
“I suffered a lot in the training sessions he made us do during preparation. After that period, however, we felt like we were flying on the pitch: the benefits were crazy. I felt good, I felt at the top all season,” Lenglet explained.
Last summer, claims from the Catalan media had stated Spurs were keen on taking Lenglet back. That didn’t happen and Tottenham strengthened their defence by signing Micky van de Ven from VfL Wolfsburg in the same window.
Lenglet returned to the Premier League in the same window, when he joined Aston Villa on a loan deal.
