Tottenham's starting goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario has shown real class in backing his number two, who finished the season as the main man between the sticks.
Vicario has been dealing with injury issues over the last couple of months, leading to Antonin Kinsky getting regular starts, helping Spurs to secure Premier League safety on the final day of the season.
Antonin Kisnky bounces back - and Guglielmo Vicario notices
Kinsky had a torrid time earlier in the year, when he was substituted during the first half of a capitulation against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League. It was a brutal move from Igor Tudor, and one that threatened to destroy the young keeper's confidence.
But Kinsky bounced back, delivering some superb performances and big saves in the final run-in, proving he has the mental toughness to handle difficult situations.
Given he is competing with Kinsky, it would be easy for Vicario to say little about his usual deputy, but he was fuill of praise for him when speaking to Football.London.
"He has been incredible, impressive, he did unbelievably well," said the Italian. "In every game it was not easy. Now it’s easy to say but I was sure of his mental strength and ability. When I spoke to Roberto the first day he signed he asked me how Toni was and I said 'I think he is fully recovered from what happened because in football it can happen', and he showed it.
"That's the biggest strength he can put on the pitch. I’m very proud of him, he made some really important saves to keep us in the league and he deserved his moment. Sometimes football is downs, I think he had the brilliance to show his ups. Especially in the last two, three games. He did unbelievably for us."
If Vicario leaves Spurs, as has been suggested this summer, Kinsky could wind up being the full-time number one, so those words will offer encouragement to Tottenham fans ahead of next season.
Vicario on dodging the drop
Whether Vicario leaves this summer or not, his commitment cannot be questioned. He was spotted going wild on the sidelines when Joao Palhinha scored the goal to keep Spurs in the Premier League, and he was one of the more animated figures throughout the game, despite being on the bench.
"A lot of emotion. It has been a very long season," he added. "We suffered a lot as a team. Also, individually, I suffered a lot for many reasons, different reasons. So of course [staying up] was something we were looking for and what we worked for, especially when Roberto came in.
"This club deserves at least to stay in the Premier League. This is the minimum you can get at this football club. Sometimes there are situations that happen that are not in your control. You lose the focus, you lose hope, you lose a lot of stuff, but fortunately, Roberto came in and gave us a lot of confidence."
Add us as a preferred source on Google