Moussa Sissoko has explained what he told Tanguy Ndombele in order to help him turn around his Tottenham Hotspur career.
Ndombele, who turned 24 last week, struggled in his first season at the club following his club record move from Lyon.
The young French midfielder struggled to get minutes under Jose Mourinho, who questioned his motivation and fitness levels, and there was speculation that he might leave the club after just a year.
However, with the encouragement of Mourinho, chairman Daniel Levy and team-mates such as Sissoko, Ndombele has turned a corner and become a key player in the Tottenham starting line-up this season.
"We are happy. Overall there was a big evolution," Mourinho said about Ndombele last week.
"I believe, to play at this intensity, Premier League intensity, and to last for 90 minutes, of course he needs another step in the direction of his fitness, but he's a player who, of course, is playing very well and is giving some good things to the team."
Sissoko, who took Ndombele under his wing when he first arrived at Spurs and became something of a big brother to the younger France international, is delighted to see the transformation.
"Everyone can see what Tanguy is doing at the moment," he told Spurs' official website.
"Of course, last season was a tough season for him. I can say that’s normal, because when you are a young player and you change countries, you go somewhere where you are living alone and don’t speak the language, everything is different, even the league, where you play, you need time to adapt.
"That was my case as well, when I first came to Tottenham."
Sissoko did have his own struggles when he first came to Tottenham from Newcastle as a club record signing.
He admitted that he chatted with Ndombele about what he needed to do and the result is a happy midfielder who has become popular among the squad.
"I said to him to stay calm, stay patient, and just to work hard in training and try to understand everyone here," said Sissoko.
"Everyone knows he has talent, and everyone is sure he will perform.
"You can see this season that he’s showing a lot of quality on the pitch and we are all happy to have Tanguy in that form.
"I think he will even improve during the season, but what he is doing and showing is good at the moment."
