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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport

Fernando Llorente reiterates desire to leave Tottenham for La Liga return

Tottenham striker Fernando Llorente admits he would jump at the chance to return to Spain after struggling to hold down a first-team starting spot.

The 33-year-old, who signed for Spurs in 2017 for £15 million, has seen his first-team opportunities limited to brief cameos from the bench after being signed as back-up for Harry Kane.

Llorente, who played for Athletic Bilbao and Sevilla before moving to the Premier League with Swansea, revealed he would "love" to go back to La Liga with his contract due to expire in June.

"I've been away from home for many years, I'd love to go back to La Liga," Llorente told reporters after Tottenham's 2-1 Champions League victory over PSV Eindhoven.

(AFP/Getty Images)

The Spaniard has been limited to just 18 Premier League appearances since arriving in north London but has been used more frequently from the bench by Mauricio Pochettino in recent weeks.

And after coming on for the final 15 minutes against PSV, in which he set up Kane's equaliser, Llorente is hoping to get more chances to impress as Spurs continue to fight for trophies on all four fronts.

"I came on and things went well, so I'm happy to have helped the team," he added.

"I hope I continue to have opportunities, it's important for me because it gives me the confidence to keep working.

"It's not easy when you do not play because mentally you have to be very strong to continue training hard."

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