Joao Palhinha said he was grateful for the chance to join Tottenham after enduring a challenging 2024-25 season at Bayern Munich.
The Portuguese midfielder has made an impression at Spurs in the early stages of his loan spell, but was limited to just 17 Bundesliga appearances last season as he struggled with injuries.
He has now admitted, however, that he was frustrated by the lack of playing time he was given by Vincent Kompany when he returned to fitness.
Speaking ahead of Portugal’s World Cup qualifiers against Ireland and Hungary, Palhinha said: “[Last season] was a difficult season for me. I was injured and was out for longer than I'd expected.
"After that, I didn't get the chances I think I deserved [at Bayern], which also had an impact on my playing time with the national team.
“But these are phases. Our careers thrive on phases. Now, I'm going through a happy phase. A new club, a new project, in a league that's not new to me and that I'm enjoying again.”
He continued, explaining that Thomas Frank’s appointment at Tottenham made his decision to join the club particularly easy, and hinted he hoped the club would trigger its buy option come the end of the season.
"At Tottenham, I've had chances I didn't have before. I feel complete confidence in the people who wanted me to join the club. In this case, the manager.
"When we feel this confidence and that we're wanted somewhere, I think that's where we should be. I made this decision very easily.
“These chances are making me once again show what I'm capable of. I'm very happy with this new challenge and just want to enjoy the Premier League to the fullest.”
