“His words enter into your heart” – Tottenham star claims he has never seen anyone as motivated as Antonio Conte

Tottenham Hotspur winger Dejan Kulusevski has shared insight on his move from Juventus as he heaped praise on manager Antonio Conte.

The 22-year-old joined Spurs on an 18-month long loan from the Bianconeri in January this year. He was sensational in his first six months, helping them finish fourth in the Premier League, bagging five goals and eight assists in 18 games.

The Swede had joined Juventus from Atalanta in January 2020 but was loaned out to his former club Parma for the first six months. He returned to the Allianz Stadium in August that year, registering nine goals and ten assists in 79 games. He made 27 appearances for the Old Lady in the 2021-22 season, with 20 of them off the bench.

Kulusevski recently revealed that he joined Spurs, as he was unhappy at Juventus. He was also excited to work under Conte. He told Gazzetta dello Sport (via Fabrizio Romano):

“I wasn’t happy at Juventus, so joining Tottenham was a great choice for me. I’m so happy to work under Conte. Trust me, I’ve never seen anyone in my life motivated as Antonio Conte. His words enter into your heart."

Kulusevski has scored once and provided three assists in nine appearances this season across competitions. Tottenham also have the option to buy the winger for around £27 million at the end of his loan spell.

Conte, meanwhile, has won league titles with every club he has managed so far, including three with Juventus. He joined Spurs in November last year, succeeding the sacked Nuno Espirito Santo. Conte's team are one of two unbeaten teams in the English top flight this season, trailing leaders Arsenal by a point after seven games.

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Tottenham forward Richarlison says Antonio Conte called him before his move

Richarlison joined Spurs from Everton in a deal worth £60 million earlier this summer. He has hit the ground running registering two goals and and as assists in eight games across competitions.

He has said that after Spurs made an offer to Everton, Conte called him, which helped the player make a decision to join the London club. Richarlison said (via Football.London):

"I was on holiday in Brazil when I heard that Tottenham had made Everton an offer. I was happy because they are a huge team. Then it was all about the clubs negotiating a deal, and fortunately, everything went well. Antonio Conte called me during the negotiations and expressed how much he’d like to have me on board – that was vital for my decision."

Tottenham are third in the Premier League standings. They next face league leaders and arch-rivals Arsenal at the Emirates on October 1.