Former Spurs star says he was ‘pushed aside’ by Postecoglou before leaving

Hugo Lloris has spoken about his struggles in the 2022-23 season and admitted that it was made clear to him by Ange Postecoglou last summer that his services would no longer be required.

Lloris left Spurs back in January after 12 long years at the club, having served as the captain of the club for the majority of that time.

The World Cup winner’s departure signalled the end of an era at Tottenham, with the Frenchman now holding the record for the most Premier League appearances in Spurs’ history.

While he was a fantastic servant for the Lilywhites, his career at the club did not have the best of endings, with the goalkeeper struggling to deliver consistent displays towards the end and being guilty of many errors.

Lloris has now admitted that he was not emotionally and mentally right after the disappointment of France’s World Cup loss in 2022, explaining that Spurs’ struggles on the pitch towards the end of Antonio Conte’s reign did not help his cause.

The 37-year-old told Le Parisien: “I started again too soon, too hard. I was exhausted and only had four days to recharge. I was having trouble reconnecting, getting back into my routine, and finding motivation. The World Cup came too soon after the championship break, and the championship resumed too soon after the World Cup.

“In January, I knew it was going to be difficult, I was going to have to grit my teeth, but I planned to rely on the collective. But there, my teammates were in the same state of psychological fatigue as me, and it got to me. I took refuge in work, thinking that things would be better in February.

“Except that, when my sensations returned, my body gave up. It was a combination of several factors: the team was lacking results and the coach, under pressure, was losing patience. Therefore, the group dynamic was negative.”

Hugo Lloris became transparent at Tottenham

It came as a surprise to many when Lloris stayed put at Hotspur Way last summer despite being relegated to third choice behind Guglielmo Vicario and Fraser Foster.

The shot-stopper eventually made the move to Los Angeles FC in the winter but he explained that it had been made clear to him before the start of the 2023-24 season that his time at N17 was up.

He added: “Tottenham were coming to the end of a cycle, and so was I. I knew that Tottenham wanted to recruit younger players, especially in my position. Summer was approaching and I was no longer part of the plans.

“When the championship resumed, in August 2023, the coach informed me that I would no longer enter the field, that I would only be a training player. I was pushed aside, I had become transparent.”

Spurs Web Opinion

I do not think Lloris intends this as a criticism of Postecoglou, with the ‘pushed aside’ part potentially being lost in translation. It is pretty clear from the Frenchman’s comments that he had accepted that it was time for him and Tottenham to go their separate ways.