Emerson Royal has given an insight into the high standards demanded by Antonio Conte during Tottenham’s training sessions.
The Italian took charge in November, after Nuno Espirito Santo was sacked just four months into his reign. It proved to be an inspired decision by Spurs, as Conte led them to fourth in the table and a return to the Champions League.
Already it’s been a busy transfer window for the club, with Ivan Perisic, Fraser Forster and Yves Bissouma all joining, while Richarlison is among those strongly linked with a move.
A swoop for Djed Spence also seems likely, though talks drag on, and should the wing-back be signed then there would be some questions regarding Royal’s future in north London.
It remains to be seen whether the Brazilian is in Conte’s long-term plans, but it’s clear that the Italian’s training methods have had an impact on the 23-year-old.
“There are some physical training, sometimes we do a strong training, it ends, and I finish the training dead,” Royal revealed in an interview with ESPN Brasil.
“I arrive at training the next day, and he’s [Conte] like, ‘Emerson, I didn’t like your training yesterday.’ It’s not possible, then I start to get mad already. ‘How did you not like my training yesterday? I gave life, finished training dead’.
“But then I’ll check the GPS, I’m fine, better than many, among the best. Then I’ll say, ‘look at my GPS’. ‘No, but you can do a lot more’.
“Then I finish training frustrated. He says, ‘you see, that’s how you have to train’. We do the physicals, and he just keeps shouting my name. But that’s good. It shows that he wants to help me.”
