Tottenham Hotspur Ryan Sessegnon has revealed that he feels best suited to an “attacking left-back” role, in an interview with Sky Sports.
The 19-year-old probably earned his move to Spurs on the back of scoring 15 Championship goals in an advanced role for Fulham in 2017-18.
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However, he has operated almost as often at full-back. Transfermarkt.com has him down for 49 appearances in defence, and 68 in midfield across his career. This trend has continued at Spurs, with Jose Mourinho using him in a variety of roles on the left flank.
As The Mirror details, the Portuguese has indicated that he is more comfortable using Sessegnon as a winger for now, but suggested he may settle at left-back in time, and the teenager has reaffirmed that position.
“I think at this moment in time I don’t have a preferred position, I see myself long term at full-back,” he told Sky Sports.
“When I watch myself in clips, the way I play, my body shape, I feel like I am more suited to an attacking left-back role. But I always have it in my mind to be strong defensively as well. It’s just getting the balance between attacking and defending.”
Attacking full-backs have been so key to the Premier League’s top teams of the past five years. We had the best pair in 2015-16 with Kyle Walker and Danny Rose. Now they are arguably our biggest weakness.
Sessegnon has the attacking capacity to be even better than Walker and Rose were. If he could develop into even half of the attacking force that Trent Alexander-Arnold is, we’ll have some player on our hands.
Sess has one big problem – the role he prefers, and is best at (an attacking focused left back/Wing back) Jose wont use! Jose prefers his full backs to be an extension of the defence not an assist in attack. So Sess will be made to look poor. Its actually quite funny really – we have a right back problem because Serge is not a full back, yet we sold a player that would have been perfect for Jose and he is now dominating in Spain.