Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario has sung the praises of Andre Onana ahead of his side’s clash with Manchester United on Sunday afternoon. The Italian has hit the ground running in the Premier League and truly made an impact for his new side, though the same can’t be said for Onana.
Ange Postecoglou has breathed a new lease of life into Tottenham, and his sprinkling of new signings during the summer transfer window have all played a major role in his side’s strong start to the campaign. James Maddison and Micky van de Ven have both shone for Spurs, with Vicario also earning plenty of plaudits.
The goalkeeper was signed by Tottenham from Empoli for a fee of £16.3million, and he looks like a bargain at the price on current form. Vicario has made numerous important saves for Tottenham so far this season and has been one of the signings of the summer, and the ex-Udinense star is hoping to continue his good run at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon.
Speaking ahead of the match against United, Vicario has provided his verdict on Red Devils goalkeeper Onana, insisting that the ex-Ajax star’s class is permanent despite his shaky start to life in England. He told The Mirror: “I played against him last season with Empoli against Inter but now it’s very different.
“What he did in the league and in the Champions League was impressive. He has big qualities and is a very good goalkeeper. In the career of a ‘keeper, you have to try to stay balanced because there are good and bad moments.
“You can make two mistakes in a row but then you can have a big game and it’s ‘Oh, this ‘keeper is unbelievable’. It’s not easy. You have to appreciate what Onana has done and what he’s doing now.”
Vicario’s impact at Tottenham cannot be understated and he has already earned a fans’ favourite status for his smart saves and desire to play out from the back. However, the 27-year-old is aware that he has big shoes to fill in the long term given the incredible success that predecessor Hugo Lloris enjoyed at the club before his recent move to LAFC.
Speaking about replacing the France international, Vicario continued: “I said the day Hugo decided to leave that I would take care with all my possibility to try to make a mark like him. Not to try to replicate what he did because he did incredible stuff.
“I just want to try to commit myself 100 per cent every day and try to give to Spurs fans a lot to remember about me so they have big thoughts about me, too. Football is not for always. You have to take care of your place and to give everything you have. People like Hugo did so much for this club and when you leave, you are always remembered in the best way. He did incredibly here.”