Postecoglou excited by what is to come from youngster after starring in Europa League win | OneFootball

Ange Postecoglou says Wilson Odobert showed why the club signed him with his performance against AZ Alkmaar.

Odobert scored twice as Spurs beat AZ Alkmaar 3-1 in their Europa League round of 16 second leg, going through to the quarter-finals with a 3-2 aggregate win.

The 20-year-old has endured a frustrating season after signing for Tottenham from Burnley in the summer because of injury.

He has played just 11 times in all competitions for the club and missed around four months of the campaign with a hamstring injury.

But after scoring his first goals for the club, Postecoglou is backing the winger to kick on.

“Super pleased for him because he’s worked awfully hard. I’d be surprised if I have to explain why I selected him, if you didn’t see that today… I was excited when we signed him.

“He’s one of these players who has the ability to take players on, find space, great technician and super pleased for him to get his goals. He’s worked hard silently and to get back in the team.

“Obviously he came to a new club, a big club and big move for him and it didn’t work out for him through no fault of his own, through the injury and it’s been frustrating for me not to be able to showcase him and know how much he can develop and that’s just the starting point for him.

“He’s still working his way to full fitness. When you look at the likes of him and Lucas and Archie and two or three others we’ve got, there’s some enormously exciting talent there.”

Spurs will now take on Eintracht Frankfurt in the quarter-finals and Postecoglou says he was pleased with how his side handled the pressure against AZ Alkmaar.

“I think the way we handled it tonight was important,” he said.

“As much as you try to block out the outside noise and it doesn’t bother me but I am sure the players and the whole club was aware tonight was a big night for us.

“When you are already 1-0 down you can get really anxious about it but I never felt that. Up until we sort of gave them the first goal, I thought the lads had handled it superbly.”