‘Hell of an example’ – Postecoglou reacts to contract development at Spurs

Ange Postecoglou has said that he is delighted that Fraser Forster has now extended his contract at Tottenham Hotspur by 12 months. Forster joined Spurs on a free transfer in the summer of 2022 after his contract with Southampton ran out, penning a two-year deal with Spurs, with the experienced Englishman serving as Hugo Lloris’ […]

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Ange Postecoglou has said that he is delighted that Fraser Forster has now extended his contract at Tottenham Hotspur by 12 months.

Forster joined Spurs on a free transfer in the summer of 2022 after his contract with Southampton ran out, penning a two-year deal with Spurs, with the experienced Englishman serving as Hugo Lloris’ number two last season and then subsequently deputising for Guglielmo Vicario this campaign.

The 35-year-old has proved quite reliable between the sticks when called upon and after signing an extension earlier this week, he admitted in an interview with the club’s official channel that he has thoroughly enjoyed the 18 months he has spent at the North London club.

Postecoglou is over the moon to keep Fraser Forster

Reacting to the development, Postecoglou told Football.London: “I’m delighted we have signed Fraser on for another year. His training is elite level and he is a Premier League-standard keeper absolutely. 

“Often in most squads, it is the guys who aren’t playing regularly who affect the mood but to have a guy like him is a hell of an example to everyone else. I’m delighted to have him on board for at least another year and hopefully beyond that.”

The vote of confidence from Spurs to Forster almost certainly means that Lloris has no future under Postecoglou if that was not clear enough already. 

However, the Australian acknowledged that the former Tottenham captain has remained extremely professional on the training ground despite being relegated to a peripheral role.

The Spurs head coach said about Lloris: “He trains really hard and the goalkeeping fraternity or whatever you want to call it is a really good environment. 

“Whilst Hugo hasn’t been playing or part of the first team he hasn’t changed his demeanour in any way. He is very professional and great for the other keepers to have him there with his experience.

“He is in the last year of his contract, the last six months now and I’m sure he will be thinking about his future but it’s not something I am too focused on.”

When asked if he expects the Frenchman to leave the club in January, Postecoglou responded: “It’s not my decision. It’s a decision for Hugo and the club. I don’t have that power and don’t want that power.

“Hugo is a member of this squad and how he trains every day is important to me. If he wasn’t then I’d be dealing with it but I haven’t had to, he has been absolutely first-class.

“As a manager, I don’t take that for granted because that could be a problem for me. For most managers, it is the ones who aren’t playing who give you the biggest headaches. It’s his decision to make.”

However, the 58-year-old refused to rule out the prospect of Lloris featuring again for Tottenham this season.

When asked if the goalkeeper had already played his final game for Spurs, Postecoglou said: “I don’t know mate – I’ve lost five defenders, I could lose seven goalkeepers! It’s why I treat everyone the same – because you don’t know. 

“He is a member of the squad and you don’t know what is around the corner. The way you treat people when they are not involved could come back to bite you when you do need them.”

Spurs Web Opinion

The most important responsibility of the second and third-choice goalkeepers is to ensure that they do their best to contribute positively to team morale rather than being disinterested or detached. We are lucky that we have two goalkeepers in Lloris and Forster, who are both model professionals. 

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