Lucas Moura, interviewed The winger on starring at Spurs
In a season plagued by injuries, a lack of signings and new stadium delays, Spurs have somehow clung on in the title race – and public transport lover Lucas Moura insists Tottenham’s trophy hunger is greater than ever
Tottenham supporters have cause to be weary at the thought of a high-profile club figure making a song and dance of using London’s public transport system. At his unveiling back in 1997, newly appointed Spurs gaffer Christian Gross whipped out his travel card and proclaimed, “I want this to become the ticket to my dreams.” It wasn’t, and within 10 months he’d been given a personal rendition of Alan Sugar’s now-famous catchphrase and been forced to clear his desk. Fortunately, the newest Lilywhite lover of Transport for London has not only made a more positive impact in N17, but also outlasted the hapless Swiss manager.
“The traffic in London is bad,” fleet-footed winger Lucas Moura tells Fourfourtwo, days from the first anniversary of his £25 million switch to the English capital. “And the thing that has surprised me – in a good way – is the great extent of the Tube. London is a big city and you can go everywhere by Tube – it’s impressive. I didn’t use the Paris Metro at all when I lived there, but here I’m always using the Tube.”
And although the London Underground doesn’t stretch quite as far as Tottenham’s Enfield training ground, Lucas is more than content in his new surroundings.
“The atmosphere in the dressing room couldn’t be better,” adds the 26-year-old, enthusiastically. “It’s very friendly. There are a few jokers in there, like Jan Vertonghen, Erik Lamela and Moussa Sissoko – they are unstoppable! I also like to make a few jokes but am shy compared to them, so my role is mostly just to laugh.”
For a spell, his back-seat role extended to football matters as well. Signed from Paris Saint-germain on the final day of last year’s January transfer window, the Brazilian international started only two Premier League games before the end of 2017-18.
But now, having waited patiently for regular football during his first six months in England, Lucas has come good during some of the key moments of Spurs’ season, bringing much-needed speed to an attack that, while full of ingenuity, had occasionally looked one-paced.
First, he bagged a brace in a 3-0 triumph at Old Trafford that set the early-season tone for both Tottenham and Manchester United. Then he steered home an 85th-minute leveller as Mauricio Pochettino’s side secured progression in their decisive Champions League group fixture. Oh, and it was away at Barcelona.
After a slow start to life in England, the world is now his Oyster...
You’ve previously talked about the problems with violence, gangs, guns and drugs in your neighbourhood growing up – were people you knew affected? I was born and raised in a poor area of Sao Paulo. There were a lot of social and economic issues there, that’s for sure. I’ve lost friends who ended up involved with crime and drugs. Some have died; others I’ve just lost track of. I’ve seen robberies, bad guys with guns, and I’ve been offered drugs, too – that was the environment. I managed to escape it thanks to the education I received from my parents, and my dream of becoming a footballer. It might sound weird, but somehow I always knew I’d make it. My biggest idols were the players shining for Brazil, like Ronaldinho, Ronaldo and Rivaldo. I basically had no access to the European leagues during my childhood.
You played alongside Rivaldo in your final year at Sao Paulo – did you learn much from him? It was a huge pleasure to play with him – a true legend. He was about to retire but was still better than the rest of us [laughs]. I learned a lot from him on and off the pitch – his professionalism, the quality of his passes and his free-kicks. It was amazing to share time on the training ground with him. I’m thankful for the opportunity to get to know him.
How did your 2012 move to PSG come about? You’d been linked with pretty much every other big club in Europe, so were any other sides in the running? There was lots of speculation, but in the end just two other official offers. One was from Inter and the other from Manchester United.
Representatives of Inter were in talks with Sao Paulo, but United were the one I came very close to joining. Everything was agreed, but then there was a last-minute call from Leonardo [PSG’S director of football at the time], who told me about this ambitious new project. PSG were buying some top-quality players and there were a few other Brazilians involved, too. So I chose PSG, mainly because I thought the adaptation would be easier alongside many of my compatriots. It wasn’t an easy decision, but I spent five great years in Paris and developed as a player and a human being. I will always be grateful to PSG.
You’ve been friends with Neymar (above) for a long time – do you remember your first meeting? True, we’ve known each other for a long time. I was about seven when I first met him. We used to play futsal, but not for the same team. We were rivals, but we became good friends years later after both turning professional. We played together for Brazil Under-20s and then for the senior side. Neymar hasn’t changed much as a person – anyone who knows him will tell you that. He’s always been friendly and funny. My best memories of him come from the month we spent in Peru, winning the 2011 South American U20 Championship. Off the pitch, we always had fun, playing cards and talking about life. I’m a huge fan of him as a player and a man.
Do you speak often? Has he popped over on the Eurostar to visit? He hasn’t come over so far. The football calendar doesn’t help and we haven’t found time for the barbecues we used to enjoy together. I’ve only been back to Paris once since moving to London and it was a very short stay, but we still speak now and again.
Why didn’t things work out for you at PSG? I wouldn’t say it didn’t work out – my time at PSG was a very positive experience. It was my first home in Europe and I learned a lot there. I’ve matured as a person and also improved as a player. Obviously the last few months were not as I would have liked. I didn’t leave the club as I wanted and it was the toughest period of my career. Sometimes I wasn’t even named on the substitutes’ bench, and I won’t deny that was a difficult situation, but I prefer to highlight the better moments. I have a lot of affection for PSG.
Your agent claimed Jose Mourinho wanted to sign you for Man United – was that ever close to happening? There were some rumours, but as far as I know United wanted a loan deal. Then Spurs offered a permanent contract, which was key because I wanted my future to be clear. I’m definitely happy with that decision.
Did joining Spurs feel like a fresh start? Signing for Tottenham was a great gift for me, a wonderful moment of my career. As soon as I heard about their interest, I was really anxious to join the club. I’ll never forget the day I came to the training ground
for the first time to talk to Mauricio Pochettino about the move. By the time I left, I knew I wanted to be in that team. The Premier League is the most competitive league in the world and it’s been a pleasure to experience it. Every game has a fantastic atmosphere, not to mention the top-quality sides and players you face week in, week out. And, yes, it did feel like a fresh start. I wasn’t playing much in Paris and felt my time there had come to an end. So when a big club like Tottenham got in touch, I was over the moon. I was immediately impressed with the union of the people. Everyone’s been very welcoming to me and I felt at home from day one.
Pochettino’s training sessions have become legendary in the last few years – how difficult have you found them? Have they? Well, his training sessions are indeed very intense! He likes to see competitiveness. There’s no such thing as a relaxed session and he won’t accept someone not giving their all. He wants his players to improve individually, because that’s how the team will improve. We’ve had a good relationship, very transparent. I have a lot of respect and admiration for him. Pochettino prefers to play an intense game and always demands so much from his players, with and without the ball. He said I have to sprint cleverly to find the spaces. “Don’t wait for the ball to come to you, Lucas,” he says. “Intensity, intensity, intensity.”
You only started two Premier League games in the second half of last season – was that frustrating? Every player wants to be out on the pitch, but you have to respect your team-mates and the manager. I arrived midway through the season and the lads were playing great football. How can you break into the team in such a situation? In the end, it wasn’t bad because I had time to adapt and understand my new environment. The first six months were important for getting to know my team-mates and appreciating Pochettino’s style, and I started this season well thanks to that period of adaptation. It’s not been about changing my game, it’s more about learning how I can improve the team using my own characteristics.
Did your double at Old Trafford at the start of this season feel like a breakthrough moment for you? That was a special game and it has a special place in my memory. It’s an amazing feeling to score twice against such a big rival, away from home in the Premier League. It obviously gave me a confidence boost. It was a fantastic feeling to be decisive at Old Trafford and I want to replicate that feeling as often as possible. You play alongside some incredible players in Tottenham’s attack – Harry Kane, Dele Alli, Heung-min Son and Christian Eriksen – but which is the most like a Brazilian? Good question. I can see some Brazilian characteristics in all of them. Kane is a talented striker, combining physical strength with impressive technique, and he’s always in the right place at the right time. I have no doubt he’s one of the top three strikers in the world – maybe even the best. Dele is like a classic Brazilian player, as he makes everything look so easy. He’s very elegant and never afraid to try something new. Eriksen’s a proper playmaker – he can think fast and likes to exchange quick passes. And Son is very skilful. I’m amazed with his ability to use both feet, and I’m still not sure which is his stronger foot! They are all great players and it’s a real pleasure to work with them.
Tell us about scoring Spurs’ vital equaliser in Barcelona... It’s a match I’ll keep in my heart forever. The day before the game, in our training session at Camp Nou, I was looking around and thinking that I’d never scored there. So I prayed to God to bless our team, and to bless me. I had a feeling I would be decisive and score a goal, and it happened. It’s hard to put into words the sensation of scoring that goal against Barça. The adrenaline couldn’t be higher – it was magic. I still get emotional thinking about it. It’s one of the most important goals of my life so far, that’s for sure.
How important is it for Spurs to start winning titles? Can they win the Premier League in the next couple of seasons? Winning trophies are still my targets for this season. Unfortunately we got knocked out of the domestic cups, and that was painful, but we’re fighting for the Premier League and the Champions League. That’s not easy, but anything can happen in football. We’ve got a squad capable of winning big trophies. Manchester City and Liverpool are both playing great football but we’re still in the race. Let’s see what happens in May.