People say I'm a nasty player, but I respect every opponent, says Spurs bad boy
CRISTIAN ROMERO has hit back at claims he is an annoying player – saying his no-nonsense defense is simply his “style of play”.
The Argentina World Cup winner is turning into perhaps one of the most respected central defenders in the world.
3
But Romero's aggressive approach and hot-headed approach have earned him a reputation.
Yet the Tottenham star, 25, insists he respects every opponent he faces, even when Premier League clashes turn ugly.
And ahead of Spurs' visit to Goodison to take on relegation-chased Everton today, he told SunSport: “People say I'm mean? In reality, this is just my playing style.
“It's the way I approach things and that's it.
“But I have enormous respect for every opponent I face every week.
“We may have an argument with each other during a match, but it's all forgotten as soon as we leave the field.
“I don't feel invincible. I'm just someone who wants to get better every day and I respect every player and every team in the world!”
FREE BETTS – BEST BETTS & BONUSES FOR NEW CUSTOMERS
3
Despite losing the world's 'best' centre-forward, Harry Kane, to Bayern Munich in a deal worth £104 million last summer, Tottenham now sit fourth in the table.
And for Romero, boss Ange Postecoglou deserves a lot of credit for reviving the club after unhappy times under Antonio Conte, Nuno Espirito Santo and Jose Mourinho.
Conte left Spurs last March, with Aussie Big Ange named as his replacement in June.
And Romero said: “The truth is that last year I was not happy on a personal and collective level.
“Things didn't go well at all with . . . we all know who our manager was. But fortunately we now have a new gaffer and we have renewed our team. This shows that the club is doing things the right way.
“They have brought in a competent manager and added the right players to our squad.
“We lost Kane, the best striker in the world. Everyone knows he is, but he might have to win a trophy to end that debate.
“But he is gone now and we are focusing on ourselves because we want to keep improving.
“The win against Brentford was very important for us because it came right after Manchester City where we didn't do so well.
“We took a risk in the first half, but in the end we won.
“And doing it with our style of play, the way we did it was huge.”
This emerging Tottenham team is certainly heading in the right direction.
But while Postecoglou's men are making giant leaps, Romero claims they are “not yet ready” to take on the big boys Manchester City and Liverpool.
The Argentinian explained: “To win trophies you have to tick a lot of boxes; having the right manager and players is simply not enough.
“We need time and patience to win things, or at least compete with teams like Manchester City and Liverpool, who stand alone in the Premier League.
“They are the teams to beat, but more of the same from our club and chairman, who are laying the foundation, and one day we will push them hard.
“Even though we are not yet ready to win this season, we are on the right track and we just have to keep it up.”
Defensive partner Micky Van de Ven was one of the revelations of the season after joining from Wolfsburg for £35 million in August.
The 22-year-old Dutchman has praised Romero as a “world-class” footballer. Yet the Argentinian believes his teammate does not get enough credit for his debut season.
He said: “Right now Micky is one of the best centre-backs in the Premier League.
“But marketing plays a big role in how people see you here – that's why he's not talked about enough.
“He doesn't get any publicity and is not built up at all.
“But he's doing so well and we hope he can continue – I'm so happy for him.
“He is young, hungry and wants to go to the next level. He has a great career ahead of him.”