RYAN READY TO MEET ABRAHAM & MOUNT AGAIN
WHEN Spurs visit Chelsea today, Ryan Sessegnon will be among friends reunited.
The 19-year-old winger played alongside the likes of Blues midfielder Mason Mount and striker Tammy Abraham at the Under-21 European Championships last summer.
Yet while their Premier League careers have taken off this season, Sessegnon has been left on the runway because of injury.
Spurs fans, mindful of the slow start of a certain Gareth Bale, have sent the former Fulham teenager messages of support on social media.
His time will come, but for the moment he is surrounded by patience.
“It’s been good for Tammy and Mason,” said Sessegnon. “They are doing well and I’m happy for them.
“It’s neck and neck between us and Chelsea to get that fourth place. So we’ll be looking to go there and win the game, obviously, and hoping they drop more points.
“When you look at what Mason and Tammy have done so far this year, and what Mason did at Derby and Vitesse before that, you see that they are fantastic young players. At the Euros I played alongside him, Phil Foden, James Maddison and Dom Calvert-Lewin.
“You could say there’s a little bit of ‘It could have been me’ when I see the way that they’ve kicked on this season.
“So I’m going to stay calm and positive. I’m going to try not to put too much pressure on myself as I’ve done before.”
Sessegnon arrived at Spurs as a bigmoney signing last summer but was injured until November and has so far made just six Premier League appearances.
He is grateful to his parents for the level-headed approach helping him to shrug off the hype heaped on him.
“It can be tough,” he said. “For me, it probably started when I was 16 and I scored my first goal for Fulham. “The spotlight was on me purely because of my age. I’d become the youngest scorer in the Championship at the time.
“So from then on, you realise that everyone is looking at you to see what you do on and off the pitch. “That comes with its own pressure. Then there’s the pressure that you put on yourself. “But I would say I was mentally strong. Mature for my age. That’s down to my upbringing.
“My parents taught me to be positive, stay calm, and to remember where I’d come from. Not to put too much pressure on myself.
“With young players, you see that a lot. You almost try to take everything on your shoulders a little bit, when as a young player you shouldn’t be allowed to.
“Before I’d probably taken on a role where you become almost the man of the family. It can be tough, mentally. And not many people see that.”
Dele Alli, another hit after stepping up from MK Dons, has taken Sessegnon under his wing, helping him cope with the increased profile.
“He was young when he came to Spurs as well.” said Sessegnon. “He was chucked into a team and did very well. So it just makes sense for him to help me out. I appreciate everything he has done.”
The youngster also cites Bale, Ashley Cole and Luke Shaw as role models.
“Luke is not that much older than me,” he said. “But I love the way he burst on the scene of Southampton as an attacking fullback. That’s the way I like to play as well.
“Gareth too. He did it at Southampton, then at Spurs, now at Real Madrid.”
Sessegnon has big shoes to fill but will give himself plenty of time to do it.
Ryan Sessegnon was speaking at Tottenham’s Player Development Programme at Epping St John’s School. Visit tottenhamhotspur.com/ development.
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