Tottenham stars feel the strain in Seoul!

Harry Kane and Son Heung-min COLLAPSE during a brutal training session on Tottenham’s pre-season tour, with Antonio Conte telling players to run 42 pitch lengths after two hours playing in 30C heat

  • Tottenham stars are feeling the strain of Antonio Conte’s rigorous pre-season
  • Spurs players were put through their paces on the first day of training in Seoul
  • Most of the squad trained for 90 minutes before running 42 lengths of the pitch
  • Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min were left on the floor in the South Korean heat 

Harry Kane suffered in Seoul as Antonio Conte drilled his Tottenham stars through a gruelling two-hour training session in the sultry heat of a Korean summer.

Spurs threw open the doors of Seoul’s World Cup Stadium to 6,000 local fans and they got a glimpse of Conte’s brutal preseason regime.

This was the second session of the day on Monday and it started with the popular rondo ball-possession warm-ups, featured a long 10-on-10 game across two thirds of the pitch and concluded with a savage running exercise that no-one had been warned about.

Tottenham stars son Heung-min and Harry Kane are already feeling the strain of pre-season

Star striker Kane and Son both collapsed into a heap on the pitch during the running session

White-haired fitness coach Gian Piero Ventura took over for the running and drove those players who have been back in training for over a week through 42 lengths of the pitch at a quick pace, much quicker than a jog.

Those players who reported at the end of last week after they were involved extended international duty in June escaped with 30 lengths of the pitch.

With temperatures touching 30C, no breeze inside the 60,000-capacity bowl and stifling humidity, it proved too much for Kane, who collapsed onto his knees at the end of one run.

The Spurs squad trained for 90 minutes before beginning the running lengths of the pitch

A number of players had to run 42 lengths, while those late back had to still complete 30 runs

It drew gasps from the spectators but he was not alone and the level of concern went up a level when local hero Heung-min Son began to show signs of pain, threw himself down onto the grass and rolled onto his back.

For super-fit Son, it was his second day of training. He met the Spurs team with a smile as they arrived at Incheon Airport and joined them for training on Sunday, although he has been seen playing six-a-side games with his friends during his summer break.

10 on 10 line-ups 

Forster

Tanganga – Fagan-Walcott – Davies

Doherty – Hojbjerg – Bissouma – White

Parrott – Kane – Son

Lloris 

Romero – Dier – Sanchez

Royal – Bentancur – Skipp – Sessegnon

Gil – Richarlison – Moura

 

Son and Kane dragged themselves back to their feet to complete their course.

Eric Dier whipped-up the crowd for motivation on as they drove on towards the finish. 

Bryan Gil and Davinson Sanchez were among those striding out at the front for much of the running but young striker Troy Parrott still had the energy to break clear on the final length to take the tape to well-earned applause. 

‘It depends who you ask,’ said 20-year-old, Parrott when asked of Contes training was as gruelling as it seemed.

‘I’m quite a good runner naturally, but yeah it’s been tough. It’s been hard work but it’s all preparation.’

New signing Ivan Perisic, injured at the end of last season and not fit enough to take part in full training, missed the session and Dejan Kulusevski pulled out after only a few minutes with what seemed like a calf problem. 

Japhet Tanganga did his own running exercise covering half the length of the pitch.

Italian boss Conte is renown for putting his players through punishing pre-season sessions to ensure his squad are fit and ready to go come the new season wherever he has managed.

It appears to be no different as he undergoes his first pre-season at Tottenham with the players all looking worse for wear at the end of their open training session. 

The former Chelsea and Inter Milan boss will lead his team out against a K-League all-star team on Wednesday evening at the Seoul World Cup Stadium where they have been training since arriving. 

Boss Antonio Conte is renown for putting his players through punishing pre-season sessions

Conte has also been wielding the axe as he made it perfectly clear who was not in his plans for next season – with Sergio Reguilon, Harry Winks, Giovani Lo Celso and Tanguy Ndombele all left at home for the trip. 

The arrival of Bissouma displaces midfielder Winks and Perisic does the same to Reguilon at left wing-back. 

Meanwhile, Ndombele and Lo Celso spent last season out on loan at Lyon and Villarreal respectively and will now be expected to find permanent exits.


Giovani Lo Celso and Tanguy Ndombele were sent out on loan from Tottenham last season

Steven Bergwijn has already been sold to Ajax as Tottenham begin to clear out their deadwood after qualifying for the top four last season.

Clement Lenglet, who signed on loan from Barcelona on Friday has not travelled with the squad because he did not have time to complete the necessary paperwork. Joe Rodon is ill and has stayed in the UK. 

Bryan Gill, who spent the second half of last season out on loan, did make the trip although he still remains a player being linked with a move away this summer. 

After their matches in South Korea, Spurs will then return to the UK to face Europa League runners-up Rangers in Glasgow, before heading to Israel for a reunion with Jose Mourinho as they take on his Roma side a week before the start of the Premier League season.




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