Alfie Whiteman has revealed that even though he does not get much of a look in at Tottenham, he never allows his standards to drop in training since an opportunity might be just around the corner.
Guglielmo Vicario is the established first choice at Tottenham and given the excellent start that the Italian has made to his career at the North London club, he looks set to hold on to the number one shirt for a long time.
The experienced Fraser Forster is Vicario’s main understudy while Brandon Austin also appears to be ahead of Whiteman in the pecking order, having made the bench regularly recently due to Forster’s injury.
How does Alfie Whiteman stay motivated at Spurs?
Whiteman, who grew up supporting Spurs as a kid and came through the academy set-up, is still waiting for his senior year with the Lilywhites, and he acknowledged that although it might be difficult to watch from the sidelines, he is always willing to help out when needed.
The 25-year-old stated to The Athletic, “There is only one goalkeeper in the real world.” Playing for a major club means you’re not in and out of the game and you’ll face tough competition.
“It’s always hard to be idle when everyone wants to play, which is why I took out a loan to go play games. The most important thing is to concentrate on today’s training, do well, and be prepared for the next day because you never know when an opportunity may present itself.
“It’s all very intrinsic motivation. I feel with everything I try to do — if that’s making the bed, or eating the right whether it’s doing tasks or simply picking up a piece of trash, I want to do it effectively. People seem to be unaware of just how demanding training may be. It goes beyond simple kicks. It moves quickly and is competitive.
“You’re trying to show the coaches and the gaffer that you deserve to be there and on the team by giving your all every day on the training field. My desire to succeed in all I do is my only source of motivation.
Whiteman obviously has a really positive outlook. The length of time Tottenham has kept him at Hotspur Way indicates that the team is happy with his professionalism and training methods.
