Malian outcast becomes one of the leaders for new Tottenham Hotspur

Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou revealed that a conversation with Yves Bissouma played a crucial role in turning the player's career around at the club.

Bissouma joined Tottenham from Brighton for $31 million last year but faced a challenging time under former manager Antonio Conte. The Italian publicly acknowledged the difficulties the Mali international was experiencing after his move to north London. Bissouma made 28 appearances in all competitions under Conte but later missed 12 games due to an ankle injury.

However, since Postecoglou took charge, Bissouma's career at Tottenham has experienced a resurgence. The midfielder has been one of the standout performers in the Premier League this season, contributing to Tottenham's strong start and their second-place position after four matches.

Ange shared how he helped the 27-year-old during pre-season. Upon arriving at the club, the Australian manager conveyed to all players that their opportunities to shine on the pitch depended solely on their efforts. This approach motivated Bissouma, as he has since shown significant improvement and become one of the standout performers for Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League.

"Ultimately, I said to all the players, it is about them now. You never start with a clean slate, but you can start with an opportunity to take hold of your career. Show me what you can do, and be your best. I was lucky because Biss was here from the first day I arrived. Many of the boys were playing international football, and I grabbed him. The way he was training… at the time, we mainly had young guys during the first three or four sessions. I said 'you can be a leader in this group'."

Bissouma's ability was never in doubt for the former Celtic head coach. It was just the case of convincing him to put his potential to good use - and be professional above all.

"I already knew of his ability, and the way he was training, I could see he got a lift with that. He was late the next morning, and I said, 'to be a leader means to be on time', and he has been good since then. So, there is always lessons to be learned, but I think with him and all the other players, it is about creating an environment and framework to say, 'well you should not have any excuses'. I will not allow you to have any excuses and not be the best you can be. In that context, the rest is up to them."