Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho has explained the tactical decision behind naming Japhet Tanganga in the starting line-up for the Premier League clash against Liverpool.
The 20-year-old comes into the side to make his debut in the competition and only his second senior appearance, with his previous opportunity coming in the League Cup against Colchester United.
As a result, the decision raised eyebrows, with the youngster getting the nod ahead of experienced players like Jan Vertonghen, and was the huge talking point ahead of kick-off.
However, Mourinho explained this wasn't just about giving someone their debut and detailed the tactical reasons behind his inclusion of Tanganga.
"That's Tottenham. He's a good kid, working hard with a good pre-season from what we watched and analysed, working hard to have a chance and this is Tottenham, it's a great chance for him," he told Sky Sports ahead of the match.
"He's fast, he's very fast and I think you need fast people when you play against [Mohamed] Salah, [Sadio] Mane and people who are fantastic at attacking space behind.
"We need speed, so maybe we're losing some experience, of course we have people with more experience than him, but he's fast."
