Lamela Ready to Prove £30m Worth for Tottenham

Erik Lamela has promised Tottenham Hotspurs supporters they will see the best of him under his compatriot Mauricio Pochettino after having a debut campaign to forget at White Hart Lane.

Spurs made the Argentinian star their club transfer record last summer, after paying £30m to Roma as part of the big overhaul that followed Gareth Bale's departurte to Real Madrid.

But the 22-year-old forward failed to replicate his form with the Serie A giants where he scored 21 goals in 67 games.

However, Lamela is still confident of justifying his star billing to Spurs supporters after recovering from injury and with the new impetus of working with a new manager.

"I am getting in good shape and am determined to show Tottenham fans the real Erik Lamela this season," he was quoted by Sky Sports.

"I have recovered from my injuries, we have a new manager and I cannot wait to play. I am confident you will see a much better me this season."

"Last season was a frustrating one all round for me. It took a while to get into the team and then I kept getting injured, which meant I was overlooked by Argentina too. Moving to a new club is always hard but it is even harder when it is in a new country and you are not able to play.

Lamela admits his frustration for the lack of minutes he had last campaign both under Andre Villas Boas and Tim Sherwood. However, he expects his compatriot Mauricio Pochettino will help him thrive next season.

"Now my injuries have gone and we have a new manager who is the same nationality as me, I feel as though I have a new lease of life."

Lamela adds he has never considered moving away even though there were many rumours about his potential return to Italy.

"Leaving Tottenham never once entered my mind, not even when I was feeling at my lowest.

"I wanted to play but, unfortunately, my injuries meant I couldn't. That made me feel bad because the club had paid a lot of money for me and I wasn't even able to get onto the pitch.

"But I never wanted to leave. I was determined to stay at the club and show everybody — my team-mates, staff and the fans — that I was a good player."