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Mateus Fernandes believes Tottenham have a point to prove as he faces up to his first season with the club.
The Portuguese joined Spurs early in the summer transfer window and marked his debut on Wednesday with a stunning volleyed goal. It proved the winner as Tottenham edged MK Dons 1-0 behind closed doors at Hotspur Way.
While goals did not flow for Spurs, there was plenty for Roberto De Zerbi to smile about as his new-look midfield, also featuring Conor Gallagher and Sandro Tonali, quickly gelled.
Speaking after the friendly, Fernandes said he was ready to kick on and help his new club get back to its best following back-to-back 17th-place finishes in the Premier League.
Asked what aspects of his game he wanted to improve upon, he responded: “Individually, I want to do better, do a better season than last. I need to score more goals, give more assists, be more consistent.
“Now I am playing for Tottenham, maybe the pressure can be even more, so I need to be better in many aspects. This is the reason I am here.
“I know Mr De Zerbi will improve me, improve the team, and now it is just us against the world.”
He continued, explaining how Spurs could get back to the top end of the table: “It is not just about the midfield. It is about all things, the main thing is the gaffer. Mr De Zerbi - he is the guy.
“We just need to do what he says, what we are doing in training sessions, control the games, know the timings to pass, to control the game, and to attack the box.
“This was our first game and now we need to be on the right level. We are looking forward to playing again.”
Tottenham will now travel halfway around the world to continue their pre-season campaign, facing Auckland FC in New Zealand before meeting Sydney FC and Chelsea in Australia.
Fernandes, previously of Southampton and West Ham, hopes his goal against MK Dons of League One is not his last in Tottenham colours.
“It was my favourite goal of my career,” he said of Thursday’s strike. “I need to do this more and more times, to score goals, to shoot outside of the box. I know I can do it.
“I am so happy to be here. I know that I am playing for a massive club. We are playing for the top of Premier League and the level needs to be big. We need to train hard and play well.”
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