Tottenham Hotspur’s Lucas Bergvall has featured in all four Europa League matches this season.
The 18-year-old arrived at the north London club in the summer, after they agreed a deal with Djurgårdens IF in February.
Bergvall has been limited to 46 minutes of action from five Premier League games and 62 minutes against Coventry City in the EFL Cup.
Sweden manager Jon Dahl Tomasson has called up the midfielder for this international break. The teenager has been speaking to Fotbollskanalen, explaining he has had a mixed season so far with Tottenham.
“There have been many matches recently and a lot of rotations in the team. It still feels good. I’m getting warmed up. It’s been a bit up and down. It was a very good game against AZ and then a less good game, really, against Gala [Galatasaray],” he said.
The Sweden international assisted Richarlison’s winner against AZ Alkmaar, while he was unable to impress in Tottenham’s 3-2 Europa League defeat to Galatasaray.
After the loss in Istanbul, Ange Postecoglou insisted the away fixture wasn’t easy for the youngster, who can only learn by being exposed to such conditions.
“The same with Lucas, giving him an understanding of the levels here. It is not easy when you are playing away in Europe. You can only allow them to learn that by exposing them to it,” Spurs official website quoted Postecoglou as saying.
The player has now responded to the manager’s stance and wider doubts creeping in. Bergvall knows he didn’t have a good game against the Turkish champions and can take a lot from it, to improve his game.
“Yes, it’s clear that there is a lot I can take from that match. It was a tough game for the whole team. We were not up to par,” Bergvall explained.
“We have to do everything we can to improve for next time, because these are the kind of games you play in Europe. With an incredible setting, a lot of fans and a good opposing team.”
“Especially us youngsters who haven’t played that many games in Europe can learn from it. It’s part of a career. It’s important to capitalise on it.”
The Tottenham player insists he now wants to do his best and let the national team manager decide whether he’ll feature against Slovakia and Azerbaijan this month.
