Ryan Sessegnon was back in the Tottenham team on Wednesday evening as he helped his team beat Southampton 3-2 in their FA Cup fourth round replay.
Signed from Fulham in the summer following a lot of interest from the club previously, the 19-year-old has had to be patient in his first few months at the club with injury limiting his time on the pitch.
Featuring in two games for Mauricio Pochettino before his dismissal in November after a dreadful run of form, the fact the club changed managers has also made it difficult for him as he looks to nail down a permanent place in the team.
Eight of his nine appearances under Mourinho have come from the first whistle and key to that continuing will be improving on the area of his game the head coach has told him to work on.
"To play under a coach like Mourinho is very tactical," he said. "He doesn’t like to concede goals, so I’m trying to adjust my game in a defensive way as well.
"He wants me to be aggressive, so that’s what I’m trying to do."
Asked if that tough streak comes naturally, he added: "I think you have to work on it. Over the years I’ve worked on trying to better myself, working hard in training, analysing my game and stuff like that.
"It comes with experience of games and stuff."
Sessegnon's time at Spurs has been incredibly mixed since making his debut in the final minute of the 1-1 draw at Everton back in November.
Remaining in the team is going to be hard to do given the players at Mourinho's disposal and that means he needs to take his chance, as he did do against Saints, when it comes his way.
"It’s been coming. Every time I go on the pitch I try to be positive and in recent weeks when I’ve had the chance it’s probably been a bit negative," said the England U21 international.
"When I came to Spurs, it was tough at the start but I’m starting to find my feet and the more games I play the more confident I am."
All new signings want to make an immediate impact at their new club but Sessegnon couldn't do that because of the hamstring injury he suffered in the summer.
"It was tough, really tough," he admitted. "It was my first serious injury and to come to a big club like this, I was trying to find my feet.
"I came back in training and then I felt it again, so it was tough. Thankfully I’m now pain-free and enjoying my football."
It was also mentally hard for the player having played week in, week out for Fulham ever since breaking into the team under Slavisa Jokanovic in 2016.
"Definitely, definitely. Coming to the game quite young, I was used to playing every game without any type injuries," added Sessegnon.
"To come to a big club when I’m still young, still developing, still learning, to get an injury like that was mentally and physically tough.
"Thank God I’m pain free now and I just want to keep playing games."
