Spurs’ club record signing Erik Lamela says he will never give up on becoming a success at White Hart Lane.
The former Roma man suffered a torrid debut season in the Premier League last term as he struggled first to settle and tackle the English language, then with injuries.
His sudden decline led to rumours of a return to Roma or a transfer to another Italian club.
Lamela, aged 22, insists that was never really on the agenda for him.
He told The Guardian: “There was talk, not only in the summer, but in December – people had spoken about me in Italy and stuff.
“But I’d spoken with my family and my girlfriend and we were all convinced that my time would come, that once I got over this injury, I would be able to show what I could do.
“We were never going to leave this challenge.”
The Argentina international has been marginally better this season – notably his Europa League rabona goal – and is confident he will get back to his best over the course of the campaign.
He said: “The language barrier was a bit of a factor last season but my first year at Roma [in 2011-12] wasn’t fantastic either, for similar reasons.
“It’s always tough when you go somewhere for the first year and maybe in the second year, you start to hit the ground running more. I didn’t speak Italian in my first year in Rome but I did in the second.”