Premier League

Crooks blown away by Foyth

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Image for Crooks blown away by Foyth

BBC Sport pundit Garth Crooks has revealed he “couldn’t believe” that Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino named Juan Foyth in his starting XI on Saturday against Crystal Palace.

But Crooks took his hat off to the Argentine centre-back for bouncing back from his nightmare Premier League debut a week earlier to deliver a “brilliant” performance in Spurs’ 1-0 win at Selhurst Park.

Foyth scored the only goal of the game and delivered an assured display at the back alongside regulars Toby Alderweireld, Ben Davies and Kieran Trippier.

“I couldn’t believe Mauricio Pochettino decided to start the game with this lad after he gave away two penalties against Wolves,” Crooks told the BBC Sport site, as he named Foyth in his team of the week.

“What faith the manager must have had in him and what belief the player must have had in himself. After a shaky start, Foyth was brilliant, showing vision, composure and foresight and he got the winning goal his courage deserved.”

OPINION

Huge credit to Pochettino for his faith in fellow Argentine Foyth and also to the young player for showing the resilience and strength of character to bounce back from such a testing start to his Premier League career. The Tottenham manager has an excellent track record of developing and nurturing young players, in north London as well as at former clubs Southampton and Espanyol. Had Davinson Sanchez not suffered a hamstring injury in Spurs’ midweek win against PSV Eindhoven, then in all likelihood the Colombian powerhouse, a mainstay of the defence, would have partnered Alderweireld at Selhurst Park. Pochettino could have used fit-again Eric Dier, who was spent half his career in defence, at the back, but the England international started on the bench as Foyth was given the chance to make amends for his Molineux misery. It proved to be a masterstroke and the 20-year-old will begin his third Premier League game later in the season in a completely different frame of mind.

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