Theo Walcott has shared how Bryan Gil surprised him during Tottenham Hotspur’s clash with Aston Villa on Sunday as the youngster made his first start of the season.
Walcott was speaking on Match of the Day 2 as Ange Postecoglou’s side were beaten 2-1 to suffer their third defeat on the spin.
Of course, Tottenham are dealing with a raft of injuries and suspensions. But that does present an opportunity to some of those more on the fringes of the squad. And one of those who came in for a rare start was Bryan Gil.
Theo Walcott surprised by Bryan Gil
Gil has had such a stop-start time at Tottenham. But he definitely showed glimpses of his quality, particularly during the first-half.
Speaking to ESPN, Shaka Hislop said Gil was outstanding. And Alan Smith noted that he played one ‘glorious’ cross for Son Heung-min which the skipper could not quite get his head to.
But there were also moments which reminded everyone that Gil had not started for some time. There were a couple of occasions when he made the wrong decision in the penalty area, either snatching at chances or making the wrong pass at the crucial moment.
And Theo Walcott suggested that he expected the 22-year-old to be able to show a lot more composure.
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“He’s the sort of player I feel that likes to take a lot of touches. So it surprises me when he’s actually rushed it. He doesn’t look like that sort of player to rush that sort of chance,” he told Match of the Day 2.
Make or break opportunity for Spurs winger
It was definitely a promising showing from Gil. The worry is that he has had these moments in the past. He was excellent when he played against Crystal Palace under Antonio Conte. But that came to little.
There is clearly a talented player in there somewhere. However, this feels like a make or break chance for him at Tottenham.
James Maddison is set to be out for the rest of the year. And he is not the only one on the sidelines. So Gil potentially has a run of games ahead of him.
He may be one to make the most of Tottenham’s current problems. But if he fails to kick on, it is surely time to say that Spurs may just be the wrong club for him.