France manager Didier Deschamps heaped praise on Moussa Sissoko in an interview and claimed that opponents feared playing the Tottenham scapegoat.
Deschamps revealed his admiration for the oft-criticised Spurs’ midfielder when commenting on the Premier League talent that he might name in his World Cup squad in the summer.
“Moussa, he is the prototype of a soldier, ” said Deschamps, in an interview with French broadcaster SFR Sport.
“He was the soldier of [former coach Alain] Casanova at Toulouse, he is Pochettino’s solider at Tottenham, even if it was more complicated at the start.
“One just has to look at the Euro final to see what Moussa Sissoko is capable of.”
The international manager continued raving about Sissoko, praising his ability to deliver when called upon and shared that he thought opponents were scared to play him.
“Aside from that, if you are going to ask him to do what Kylian Mbappe or Kingsley Coman does, he is a completely different player,” stated Deschamps.
“He does not complain, whether he starts the match or comes on after two minutes, ten minutes, twenty minutes, he gets into the match.
“He gives, he gives, he is very appreciated by his team-mates and feared by his adversaries.”
The 28-year-old midfielder has featured 36 times across all competitions for Spurs this season, and scored two goals in his outings.
However, Sissoko hasn’t exactly garnered praise from Tottenham supporters for his performances during this campaign, with many taking to social media to slam his recent display against Newport County.
OPINION
Deschamps is right to tell fans to look at the Euro 2016 final to see what Sissoko is capable of. However, the central midfielder that Tottenham fans get to watch on a regular basis doesn’t look like the same player. The 28-year-old dominated the midfield battle for France in their game against Portugal and was unlikely to be on the losing side. Spurs fans would have no complaints if Sissoko was able to run their midfield, but unfortunately more often than not he is carried through games by his teammates. While Deschamps may be impressed by him, it’s hard to imagine that Mauricio Pochettino holds the same high opinion of him.