New signings from 2022 reveal their Christmas plans and memories

As our annual festive feature returns, we speak to a number of the Club’s new signings from this calendar year across our men’s, women’s and academy teams to find out about a traditional Christmas for them and how they’ve celebrated in the past...

Dejan Kulusevski

Born: Stockholm, Sweden
Sweden international
Joined Spurs: January, 2022, on loan from Juventus

Describe Christmas Day for you...
“It’s different this year because I’m in a different country and I have to play football in the middle of the Christmas period, but I’m very good at adapting. No Christmas is the same. I remember a couple of years ago I had to be alone at Christmas in Italy. I was young and I couldn’t go home to Sweden because I had to train with the first team at one of my former clubs so you have to adapt, but I’m happy that my family is coming over this Christmas and I also get to play football, so I’m looking forward to it a lot! And it’s been snowing also, so it’s even better!”

What is traditional at Christmas in Sweden?
“We celebrate on 24 December, not like here on 25 December. Everybody gets together with their families, eating a lot of food, watching movies together and giving out presents. It’s a nice vibe – one of my favourite times of the year. I like spending it with my family, with my dogs, enjoying good times and watching The Grinch together – that’s one of my favourite movies at Christmas.”

What is your favourite festive meal?
“We have a lot of different food in Sweden. Usually you have meatballs at Christmas, that’s a thing that people love, along with some fish and other things, but I’m bringing my parents here this year so they can cook some of the things we usually have in Sweden! It’s going to be fun and I’m looking forward to it.”

What was your most memorable gift as a child and what do you wish for at Christmas now?
“Everybody is always kind to me and I always got everything I wanted at Christmas, especially the new FIFA games when I was young. Also now I’m lucky to receive things that I like, so maybe basketball shirts with signatures on. Really though, I’m not into asking for gifts, I’m just happy and grateful if I can make others happy.”

Celin Bizet Ildhusøy

Born: Sørum, Norway
Norway international
Joined Spurs: August, 2022, from Paris Saint-Germain

Describe Christmas Day for you...
“This year I’m travelling home on Christmas Day – I’ll get on a plane, go home, wake everyone up, eat and then relax at my fiancé’s house with both of our families, who are going to get together.”
What is traditional at Christmas in Norway?
“Mainly spending time with family and exchanging gifts. Usually we will eat good food, relax on the sofa, perhaps play some games… and there will be so much snow there!”

What is your favourite festive meal?
“In Norway, you have Pinnekjøtt, which is a salty lamb dish. It’s also quite common to have gingerbread at Christmas.”

What was your most memorable gift as a child and what do you wish for at Christmas now?
“That’s a difficult one… I have my birthday in October and I’ve been lucky enough to receive some bigger presents then, but I’ve also had some very nice Christmas gifts over the years. I would say the best would probably be an iPad. This Christmas, I suppose if I had to make a wish, it would be for a nice plane ticket to a warm place.”

Clement Lenglet

Born: Beauvais, France
France international
Joined Spurs: July, 2022, on loan from Barcelona

Describe Christmas Day for you...
“For the moment, I don’t have a plan for Christmas Day apart from training obviously, but on 27 December my parents, my grandparents and my brothers will come to England to celebrate with us. For me, 24 and 25 December will be totally different to other years in other countries, where normally there is a break from football, because we will prepare for the game against Brentford. It’s nice, though – I knew when I came to England that this type of situation happens and I am ready to experience it.”

What is traditional at Christmas in France?
“We try to enjoy the day with different food, different music. It’s always a beautiful moment when you are a child because you are very excited to open your gifts and see what you will receive. Normally on 24 December, I eat with my family, we open some gifts, and on 25 December, the same, but with the family of my girlfriend.”

What is your favourite festive meal?
“I eat Escargot (snails), sometimes we have smoked salmon, oysters also, then after we have a Dinde – a very big turkey – with some potatoes or sweet potatoes. When we eat dessert, sometimes it’s cake or ice cream – it varies in different families.”

What was your most memorable gift as a child and what do you wish for at Christmas now?
“I once received tickets to go to Asterix Park, a big theme park in France, when I was about 10 or 11. That was amazing for me because it had been my wish to go there for a long time and Santa Claus gave me that gift, so it was really good to see those tickets on the morning of 25 December! Now, I always wish the same – if my family is healthy and everyone is happy, I’m happy. Also if I can be on the pitch and win a lot of games, it will be very good.”

Angharad James

Born: Haverfordwest, Wales
Wales international
Joined Spurs: July, 2022, from Orlando Pride

Describe Christmas Day for you...
“It’s a time to spend with the family and switch off from football. I’m looking forward to it this year because it will be my first one in London. I have similar plans to usual, but my family will come to me instead of me going back home to Pembrokeshire, so it will be a nice new environment in the new house.”

What is traditional at Christmas in Wales?
“Just a lot of cauliflower cheese! As long as that’s on the plate for Christmas dinner, I’m happy! In terms of our household, we usually go for a walk in the morning and that takes us maybe to a pub that we stop off at, then we walk back to have some Christmas lunch, play some board games and music, and enjoy a few different kinds of food and drink in the evening. Coldplay’s Christmas Lights is my go-to in terms of Christmas songs.”

What is your favourite festive meal?
“Cauliflower cheese. I’ve made the error before of keeping it until the end of the meal to eat, but by that time I’m extremely full, so now I make sure I eat it whenever I can!”

What was your most memorable gift as a child and what do you wish for at Christmas now?
“Probably a football or my first kit. Nowadays, I wish just to spend time with my family. For us to have a good week to 10 days off at Christmas, I’ll make sure that I go and see all of my family members who struggle to travel to London. It’s a fair distance from Wales, so that’s the most important thing for me at Christmas time – just spending it with my family.”

Josh Keeley

Born: Meath, Ireland
Republic of Ireland youth international
Joined Spurs: July, 2022, from St Patrick’s Athletic

Describe Christmas Day for you...
“I’m hoping to get home, but obviously it depends on the training schedule here. Generally on Christmas Day, we have the family over with everyone celebrating together and having Christmas dinner. There would typically be six of us in the house over in Ireland.”

What is traditional at Christmas in Ireland?
“Nothing too different from what happens elsewhere to be honest. Some people like to go out and have a drink! But really it’s just about enjoying family time and having a meal together.”

What is your favourite festive meal?
“It would have to be ham, a bit of turkey on the side – you’ve got to have a bit of both – plus potatoes and the usual sprouts, vegetables, carrots and the like.”

What was your most memorable gift as a child and what do you wish for at Christmas now?
“Definitely getting a bike! It was a really nice bike to be fair, a white and blue one, so I’ll always remember that. It was just sitting there right in front of the sofa on Christmas morning, my eyes locked onto it straight away and I just forgot about everything else that was around! In terms of a wish this year, it would probably be for the Under-21s to win our first game of the New Year and then climb up the table in the second half of the season.”

Rodrigo Bentancur

Born: Nueva Helvecia, Uruguay
Uruguay international
Joined Spurs: January, 2022, from Juventus

Describe Christmas Day for you...
“This is the first time I am here at my club and not going back to Uruguay. It’s difficult, I will miss my family, but it’s okay. Everything will be good. This year I will be with my girlfriend, her mum and we have a couple of friends here as well. It’s too much travelling for my family – they went to Qatar for the World Cup and have now gone back to Uruguay, so it’s too much for them to come here now as well.”

What is traditional at Christmas in Uruguay?
“We celebrate on 24 December in the night time. We give presents and have a barbeque, always! We have Asado – traditional meat – then vitel toné, then beer!”

What is your favourite festive meal?
“Asado, always!”

What was your most memorable gift as a child and what do you wish for at Christmas now?
“When I was a child, a football was the best present I received. The best present this Christmas is to be with my daughter. It’s our first Christmas with her as she is only six months old. This is the best gift now.”