Ryan Sessegnon is making quite an impression in Germany on loan at Hoffenheim.
Struggling to play consistently in his first year at Tottenham following a big-money move from Fulham, Jose Mourinho and the club believed it was right to allow the 20-year-old to depart so he could get regular game time under his belt.
That has been the case for Sessegnon at Hoffenheim so far, with the versatile player scoring one and registering two assists in his 12 games in all competitions.
Whereas a number of Tottenham players struggled on loan at their respective clubs last season, Sessegnon is on the right track at present and he has been in contact with Mourinho a few times since departing N17 back in October.
"The gaffer Jose (Mourinho) sends me a message now and again after games," the England U21 international told Sky Sports News in an exclusive interview.
"When I scored he said, 'good goal carry on', a little motivational message."
Sessegnon's move to the Bundesliga is part of Tottenham's plan to ensure he is in a position to become a regular in the first team once he returns to the capital in time for next season.
Making a total of 12 appearances for the Lilywhites in his debut campaign, the player will be intent on surpassing that figure in 2021/22 if he can indeed break into Mourinho's side.
"That's the aim," he explained. "That is why I am here, to get more experience, more games in a top league and then come back and be ready to play games next year with Spurs."
Signed by Mauricio Pochettino in the summer of 2019 following plenty of speculation about a move to Tottenham in the past, injury meant that the player only got to play in two games for the Argentine.
Many have claimed that Sessegnon isn't a Mourinho type of player but he is keen to prove a point to those that don't believe he can be a big success under the 57-year-old.
"There are those people that are saying maybe not yet, but my aim is to prove people wrong," said the youngster.
"I think I can be a Jose player, of course. It's all about learning and I will try and go back and push into the team."
Keeping a close eye on Tottenham's results since his switch to Germany, Sessegnon has noticed that the whole mentality of the team has changed this season with Mourinho working his magic.
Heading into Wednesday's showdown against Liverpool top of the league, the player believes that his teammates have a good chance of going on and lifting the top prize come May.
"I have heard Hugo (Lloris) talking about it, the winning mentality they [Spurs] have as a group. They are really wanting to defend and sacrifice for each other, the whole mentality has changed," he added.
"They have the players and the manager. Every team the gaffer has been to, if they haven't won something in their first season then they have in the second.
"That shows a lot in my opinion. I don't want to put too much pressure on, but they have a good chance to go and win it."
