Tanganga has a ball playing his cards right with family
NOT all Premier League stars are isolating in luxury lockdown.
Tottenham defender Japhet Tanganga is spending the pandemic in his parents’ home with his mum, dad and three siblings.
The small garden is overgrown with weeds so instead of kicking a ball about in extensive grounds, after his daily workout he is filling his time playing blackjack with his family and online Monopoly with his friends.
But Tanganga, 21, says the dramatic change has given him a chance to catch up with the family life he had lost in the whirlwind after being plucked from the reserves by Spurs manager Jose Mourinho and thrust into the first team this season.
Tanganga said: “I’m back at home with my family – my mum, dad, older brother and two younger sisters – and, to be fair, it’s been good.
“It’s not an ideal situation being indoors and we’ve got to follow the guidelines.
“But it’s allowed me to spend time with my family, get close with them, play some games together, talk about things we’ve missed out on because of work or school. My day is pretty much wake up, do the video call with the team, then individual exercises. “After that, it’s just PlayStation with my friends or time with my family.
“We like to play blackjack – not gambling, just trying to get rid of the deck. And Uno. And with my friends, I play Monopoly online.” One other benefit of the lockdown has been the chance to brush up on other skills. “It has allowed me to develop my cooking ability,” he said.