Yves Bissouma won’t even let a flat tyre be an excuse as he leads by example as one of Ange Postecoglou’s biggest players in Tottenham’s impressive start to the season

• Yves Bissouma has hailed the impact Ange Postecoglou has had as Spurs boss 
• The Mail midfielder has been one of Tottenham’s stars of the season so far 
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Yves Bissouma has revealed how a flat tyre and London traffic led to Ange Postecoglou telling him how to be a leader at Tottenham.

Bissouma has been one of the catalysts for Spurs’ superb start to the season under Postecoglou despite being singled out for criticism under former boss Antonio Conte.

Postecoglou told Bissouma on his first day that he saw the midfielder as a key part of his plans…only for him to arrive late the following day.

‘That day I had a little problem with my car,’ said Bissouma. ‘I arrived late, he caught me and he said if you want to be a leader you need to be on time. I said I’m sorry, I told him why. We fixed it and from that day on I’ve always been on time.

‘I had a flat tyre and there was a lot of traffic as well. But it’s not an excuse, every player knows the time so you have to be on time. Things can happen but the way he said it was: “if you want to be a leader or a big, big player you need to be on time and to try to respect all the details of the club.” It’s about respect, that’s important. We fixed it. I told him and the rest of the players I was sorry. Now, I’m always the first at training!’

Yves Bissouma has hailed the impact and approach of Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou 

The Spurs boss has made a great start in the job and was August’s manager of the month 

The midfielder is enjoying his football and has been one of the team’s key players this season 

Bissouma has been one of Tottenham’s biggest players. For all the focus on ‘main man’ James Maddison, Heung-min Son’s hat-trick heroics against and Richarlison’s redemption against Sheffield United, Bissouma has glued it all together.

Ahead of this weekend’s games, no Premier League player had won more interceptions than Bissouma and only one had won more duels.

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‘I see myself as a player who can play in any position in the midfield – I can play six, eight or ten,’ added Bissouma. But I want to contribute what the gaffer wants and respect the tactical aspect.

‘I do what the coach wants me to do. And then in a game when I feel something I can do it. That’s why sometimes I am everywhere on the pitch.

‘The gaffer said a lot of positive things about me. He had the confidence in me and showed this from the first day.

‘He said: “Just be you and play the football we want to see and the football everyone wants to see – because you have a lot you can do. I give you all my confidence and the rest is up to you”.

‘He’s very good as a manager but a really, really good person as well. He is very close to his players. That’s important. When the gaffer comes and talks with all his players it gives them confidence.’

Bissouma has taken more confidence from Postecoglou than he did Conte. He joined Tottenham from Brighton for £25million last summer, but endured a turbulent time under the former boss, who singled him out as ‘the only player who is struggling with the tactical aspect”.

‘I’m not going to blame him for that,’ said Bissouma. ‘Maybe it’s true for his way. He has his ways in football and I have my ways. If he said that maybe it’s because the way he wanted me to play, I didn’t play like that. I respect him because he’s a great coach so I wish him all the best but I have to follow my way and stay focused on what I have to do here.

‘Every season has its reality and last season wasn’t my season. You can see from the start I had Covid in Korea. I came back and got injured. A lot of things happened. I tried but I wasn’t myself. I wasn’t feeling confident. This season is completely different. I’m more confident. The coach has told me what he wants me to do.

‘Last season I knew I wasn’t good. I wasn’t feeling confident, I can say that. But I tried just to keep following my goals. I told myself I know who I am, what player I am and where I want to go. I never gave up. I continued to work and now let’s see what happens.’

Bissouma was born in the Ivory Coast but left his family behind to move to Mali aged 13 to join an academy. 

Bissouma was born in the Ivory Coast but left his family behind to move to Mali aged 13  

Bissouma struggled last season and gained less confidence under former boss Antonio Conte

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‘It was really difficult for me,’ said Bissouma. ‘I was always thinking about my parents. I was very close with them. I’m a family person. When I don’t have my family around me I’m a bit off. I just realised I had a great chance to make my dream a reality because I always wanted to play football

‘I remember when I was young [in the Ivory Coast], I played in the street with no shoes. With my friends, everyone running everywhere. When it was raining or if it was hot, we played football. When you’re young you don’t care, you just want to play and enjoy. That’s what I was doing.

‘You play in the streets with everyone, people you know, people you don’t know, people walking past start playing with you. Football in Africa is like a religion. Everyone sleeps football, dreams football, lives football. I remember when I was young, big Champions League games or Premier League games we would go to one of my friend’s house. Everyone in the area would come. 

There would be maybe 20 people there to watch the game and afterwards we would go outside and play. It’s a huge sport in Africa. It’s from the heart.

‘That’s how I grew up. Every time I’m on a football pitch, the first thing I put in my head is ‘enjoy’. Because from when I was young I was praying I could play football. Now I’m a professional, playing in one of the best leagues in the world. So I just want to enjoy. You have to follow your dream and everything will be okay.’

Now, he’s ready to play a key part in Totteham’s attempt to win their first north London derby in the Premier League at the Emirates Stadium in 13 years.

‘I really like to play big games, and one against Arsenal is always a really big game,’ said Bissouma. ‘I like that because, for me, if you want to be the big player then you have to be an asset in big games. It’s going to be a good one and we have to be ready.’

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