Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho has heaped praise on the performance of Japhet Tanganga following the youngster's Premier League debut against Liverpool this evening.
The 20-year-old was thrown in at the deep end for his first top-flight outing, being named in the starting lineup against the runaway league leaders despite making only one EFL Cup appearance for the senior team prior to today.
Jurgen Klopp admitted after the match that he did not know about the defender, but he impressed up against Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah, leading Mourinho to suggest that he could be set for a regular spot in the first-team squad from hereon in.
"He did well. I think the kid has reason to be happy - not with the result obviously but with his first game in the Premier League. It couldn't be a bigger one and he did it amazing. First on the right and then on the left, first Mane and then Salah, and I think he was fantastic," Mourinho told reporters in his press conference after the match.
"I don't want to take any credit for that, I've only worked with him for a couple of months. I think the academy coaches, the people who have worked with him for so many years... it's a good moment for him and it's also a message for the kids in the academy that he is a player with the right attitude, the right qualities - the opportunity arose.
"I think Mane and Salah - they know who Tanganga is. They didn't know before the game - I think when they saw the list they thought 'what position does this guy play?' I think now they know. The kid was really good, so instead of speaking, or crying, about [Harry] Kane, [Moussa] Sissoko, [Hugo] Lloris or Ben Davies, let's smile about Tanganga."
Tanganga was unable to prevent Spurs from falling to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Liverpool, who extended their lead at the top of the table to 16 points with the victory.
Barney Corkhill
