Spurs stories | Erik Lamela - Spurs, Roma, and a couple of rabonas

Erik Lamela’s journey through Europe from his native Argentina began at this week’s UEFA Europa League opponents AS Roma, and included an eight-year stop at Spurs, where he scored two particularly famous goals in his 37-goal haul in 257 appearances.

Capped 25 times by Argentina and now plying his trade at AEK Athens in the Greek Super League via Seville, where he won this trophy, Erik, 32, took time out to talk to Andy Greeves for our latest In The Spotlight feature for our Official Matchday Programme.

To take you back to the beginning of your career firstly Erik, what was it like starting out at River Plate?

Erik: “I joined River Plate’s academy when I was seven and I was able to make my first team debut for the club when I was 17. It was an amazing time for me to play for River... the realisation of a dream for me to become a professional footballer. I trained so hard to get to that point.”

How did your transfer from River Plate to Roma come about back in 2011?

Erik: “When I had established myself in the first team at River, Roma wanted to sign me. I was 19 when I moved to Roma, and it was a big move for me at that age. Now I have more experience, and I am more mature, but then, I was a youngster. To be playing for a club like Roma at the age of 19 and in a big league like Serie A, it was very enjoyable. I was able to play a good number of games and score a decent number of goals, especially in my second season (in 2012/13 when he netted 15 times in 36 appearances).”

What attracted you to make the move to Spurs in August 2013?

Erik: “So many things appealed to me. I liked the club first and foremost and I liked the Premier League. I liked England as a country, and it was an exciting, new opportunity for me. When this chance came to join the club, it wasn’t something I had to give too much thought to. When I arrived in England, I couldn’t speak a word of English, so that was a challenge for me. But I saw it as an opportunity to grow as a player and to grow as a person.”

Of all fixtures, you made your Spurs debut in a north London derby at the Emirates in September 2013...

Erik: “That’s right. When I look back, it is disappointing that we lost the game, but it was so good for me to be playing. I remember the feeling of coming into a new league with new players. I was a little bit lost at the beginning of my Spurs career. I was in a new country without speaking the language and playing in a league where the football is very fast paced. But I adapted and I now look back on my time at Spurs as being the time I most enjoyed during my career. I was at the club for eight years and I have a lot of memories, amazing memories. It was always a really good feeling to play for Tottenham. I feel very proud to have played for them for the number of years that I did.”

How big a role did our former Head Coach, and your compatriot, Mauricio Pochettino play in your career?

Erik: “He was a really important person for me. When he arrived at Tottenham, we started to create something very special. It was a good time for me, too… my English had improved a lot when Mauricio came to the club and I was much more involved in the team. We worked so hard under Mauricio, every training session, every pre-season, every match. We all wanted to get the team as high up as possible.”

One of your standout goals in a Spurs shirt was your ‘rabona’ style strike in a 5-1 win over Asteras Tripolis in October 2014. What were your thoughts in the seconds before you struck the ball in that fashion?

Erik: “Ah, I don’t know. I have shot like that from time to time during my career and it was just instinctive. I made a quick decision on how the ball was coming to me, to shoot in that way. I was very happy to see the ball hit the back of the net. What I can’t believe is that it was 10 years ago now when I scored that goal! I saw the video of the goal on Instagram recently and it is crazy how the time flies!”

Is it your favourite career goal?

Erik: “I’m not sure. I think for me, the best goals I have scored are the goals that are important. We won that game comfortably, so it was not the most important. But was it a nice feeling to score it? Definitely!”

You produced another ‘rabona’ goal against Arsenal in March 2021? What did it mean for that goal to subsequently be named the BBC Match of the Day Goal of the Season for 2020/21 and also to win the 2021 FIFA Puskás Award?

Erik: “It is a good memory, and it was special to win the Puskás Award as a result. I enjoyed that moment, but it was a shame that there were no fans in the stadium for that match (due to the COVID-19 pandemic). I can only imagine what the celebrations would have been like with fans in the stadium. But yes, a great memory and one I will always remember.”

You scored once in nine appearances during our magical run to the UEFA Champions League Final in 2018/19. What memories do you have of that particular campaign?

Erik: “It really was incredible and of course, you instantly think of Lucas Moura’s hat-trick away to Ajax to take us through to the final. It was an incredible night and something we will never forget. What the team did in the second half in Amsterdam was extraordinary. There were other great nights... the draw in Barcelona, beating Borussia Dortmund home and away and getting past Manchester City in the quarter-finals. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to win the final, but, as players, we were all united together and we fought until the end. It was an amazing season where we showed we could compete at the top level of football.”

After the longevity of your Spurs career, was it a difficult decision for you to depart the club for Sevilla in July 2021?

Erik: “Very much so. After many years at the club, it was difficult to leave. And for my family, it was difficult to leave also as we were settled in London. As a player though, you always understand that an era at one club will come to an end. I accepted that. I had such a good run at the club. I think of all the players that were there when I first joined Tottenham and by the time I left, I was one of the last players from my original team still at the club. I understood by then, the club had a new project. So, it was the right time to leave, even if that was hard.”

Who were your best mates during your time at Spurs?

Erik: “My best friend at the club was Hugo Lloris. We were together from the beginning at Tottenham, and we built a good friendship. We lived close to one another during our time at Spurs too. We still keep in touch and talk about football and life.”

You were a real cult hero for our supporters. How much do those Spurs fans mean to you?

Erik: “The supporters meant so much to me. The Spurs fans are very special, in supporting the team whether the team are doing well or not so well. I only have good memories about my relationship with the fans and I appreciated how much they love the club. As I said earlier, I feel a pride in having played for Tottenham and that includes playing in front of such wonderful supporters.”

You won the Europa League with Sevilla in 2023. How incredible a feeling was it scoring an extra-time winner in the semi-final against Juventus en route to the final?

Erik: “Of course, that was a fantastic moment for me and the team, that I was able to score such an important goal to send us through to the final. And we went on to win the competition as you say, which made that goal even more important and made it one of my big memories of my football career.”

And the victory in the final came against your former team Roma!

Erik: “Yes! Roma were my first team in Europe and during my time at Tottenham, we played in the same competitions in Europe many times, but, as I said to my wife, ‘we never play against Roma’. Then, the first time I got to play against them, for Sevilla, was in the final of the Europa League, which was quite incredible. But that is football! A lot of Roma fans weren’t happy with me that I was part of a team that beat them in a final. But, of course, even though I have strong feelings for Roma, when I played against them in a final, my thoughts were only on winning for my team, Sevilla. Scoring in the penalty shoot-out at the end was a good feeling of course and we were all delighted to win that competition.”

How did your move from Roma to AEK Athens come about over the summer?

Erik: “AEK Athens had tried to sign me in the past, so finally the opportunity was there this summer for this to happen, as I was a free agent. I wanted to try something different in a new league and I have friends in Athens who were with me during my time at River Plate. So, there were many things that appealed to me and my family about joining AEK.”

How have you been adapting to Greek football and life in Athens?

Erik: “I have been able to adjust quickly to the football and life here in Athens. I have very good team-mates and I am enjoying their company every day. The city is amazing… there is a good quality of living here and we are enjoying that.”

What are your ambitions with AEK this season?

Erik: “The target has to be to win the Greek Super League and the Greek Cup, also. We have made a strong start to the season, so we will see what is possible.”

Finally, do you keep an eyes out for Spurs and, if so, what have you made of them this season?

Erik: “I always try to watch Spurs games when I’m not playing myself. The team has great potential with fantastic players, and I like the coach very much too. I will always support Tottenham, and I hope they are able to achieve big things this season.”