Danny Rose has hailed Mauricio Pochettino and Gareth Southgate, his managers for club and country, for giving him another chance, after outspokenness and injury left his Tottenham and England futures in doubt.
“For my part, it is forgotten,” Rose said. “I think it is forgotten on the club’s point as well. There is no point dwelling in the past. If we want to take the club forward and go that one stage further and win the league and go as far as possible in the Champions League. On my part, it is all forgotten about and I am just concentrating on the job in hand — helping Tottenham.
“Me and the Gaffer are fine. We speak most days. The last three years, the lads will tell you I am the one in his office the most, speaking to him and going through videos and sharing text messages. Even going round his house.
“He has been great at integrating me back into the team and getting me some minutes. I thought him putting me on against Real Madrid, even though it was only for 10 minutes, was a class act on his part, making me feel part of it again, even though he didn’t need to bring me on. As far as I’m concerned me and the gaffer are great and as long as we’ve both got the same goals, which is to win a trophy for Tottenham, then there’s nothing to worry about.
“It has been too long. It has been hard mentally watching the team do well over the last nine or 10 months. I am just grateful that I am back part of it,” he continued.
“There are literally no words to describe how frustrating it has been — especially last season, seeing the football the lads were playing and how close they went to catching Chelsea.
“Even this season, sitting on the bench against Real Madrid — that wasn’t nice. It is nice that we won, but it is not nice when you want to be part of it. I am just glad that I managed to play today, came through without any injuries, kept a clean sheet and it is nice we could go and watch the games later in the afternoon knowing somebody was going to drop points.”
He added: “I don’t think there is any relationship-building needed. The fans showed me that at Real Madrid away. I was not so much nervous as wary of the reception I was going to get but it was brilliant.
“I was not expecting that reception. It was brilliant then, brilliant against West Ham and brilliant again against Palace. I think they have forgiven me and once I am on the pitch I would like think everybody knows I always give 100 percent.”
“The manager’s faith is a big positive for myself. He knows I have not played much football but he knows what I am capable of once I am back in and around the team. My end goal is to be part of that World Cup squad come the summer and I can only do that playing regularly for my club. I hope Palace was the first game of many to come throughout the season,” Rose said.
“I have spoken to Gareth a lot. I did a bit of my rehab at the England training centre before I started training here. I was around him for three weeks and we had dinner together most days and spoke pretty much every day. He has been brilliant. He has called me and texted me — he has been first class to be fair.
“I went there for a change of scenery. I had spent a long time in the same physio room and the same treatment room and it got a bit much so I needed a break. It was nice that the England manager was up for me going up there and doing some rehab there. It helped me mentally.”
He added: “I am still not 100 percent yet. I have only had a couple of weeks of training so I probably still need another month of training and playing games. Hopefully, I can stay injury-free and Ben and I can contribute and help this club go one stage further this season.”
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