Lamela proud of 'big character' Foyth

Erik Lamela has paid tribute to Club team-mate and compatriot Juan Foyth after the young defender helped Argentina to a third-place finish at the Copa America.

After a domestic campaign full of ups and downs on an individual level, the 21-year-old defender has spent the bulk of the off-season with his national side, taking part in his first major international tournament in Brazil.

Capped only three times prior to the start of the competition, Juan maintained a watching brief from the bench as Argentina made a somewhat shaky start in their opening two matches, but came into the team to help them qualify for the knockout stages with a 2-0 win over Qatar before finding a starting berth at right-back as they went on to beat Venezuela in the quarter-finals, slip up against the hosts in the semis but then finish on a high with a 2-1 win against previous tournament winners Chile in last weekend’s third place play-off.

With Juan now enjoying a well-earned rest, Erik, a veteran of the Argentina national team, is back at Hotspur Way and grafting as we prepare to jet off on our pre-season tour in the next few days.

Asked for his thoughts on Juan’s performances for his country, Erik gave the youngster a resounding thumbs-up.

“He’s a young player who always wants to train hard and play. He always shows very good character and I’m so happy for him – what a way to finish the season!” smiled the attacker who, at 27, is now entering his seventh season at the Club.

“It’s important for him. He’s young and developing well. He still has a lot of time. I’m so happy for him and will always try to help him as much as I can.

“To be there, the pressure is big in Argentina. The team always has to win. Juan has big character and I believe in him. He is a player who is always confident, I can see that in every training session, in every game. I hope it’s the start of his career in the national team.”