‘Oh my god’: Jermain Defoe admits £9.4m Tottenham man sold by Pochettino was seriously talented
Etienne Capoue was a gifted midfielder while playing for Tottenham Hotspur and Watford, according to Jermain Defoe and Troy Deeney.
On the Football Firsts Podcast, the two discussed their time playing with the Frenchman.
Etienne Capoue was one of the “Gareth Bale Seven,” a group of players Tottenham bought using the proceeds from the sale of the Welsh player to Real Madrid.
It was anticipated that selling Bale will aid in the renewal of the remainder of Andre Villas-Boas’s Spurs team.
Their hiring that summer was more hit than miss, with Christian Eriksen being the most successful transfer they made.
In North London, Roberto Soldado, Paulinho, and Vlad Chiriches were never at their best for Tottenham fans.
Due to their extended tenures at the club, Erik Lamela and Nacer Chadli are viewed favorably by Spurs fans.
Jermain Defoe acknowledged that Etienne Capoue was a wonderful player despite how much they quarreled following his £9.4 million move, calling him a talented mystery.
It’s possible that this is what led to the Frenchman making only 35 club appearances over the course of two seasons.
Deeney aired his opinions of the 35-year-old when he eventually found himself at Watford.
Deeney highlighted Capoue while talking about players they had arguments with in the past, adding: “No one’s backing down, but no one’s going in with the aim of harming the other person. You and I are on each other, and that ultimately fueled us.
“Like I said, it’s [Etienne Capoue] Caps; morally speaking, we both fit the same category.
“We have such dissimilar personalities, but he wants to win and loves his family just as I do. At Tottenham, did you play with Etienne?
“Yep,” Jermain Defoe answered. He’s decent, isn’t he?
How talented is him, Deeney asked. He’s an idiot,” said Defoe before adding, “Oh my gosh. At Tottenham, I used to dispute with him all the time, but he now reciprocates.
“Unbelievable player,” Deeney said, “probably the best I’ve played with because he just had so much about him.”
The gifted Capoue who Deeney and Defoe spoke highly of was never given the opportunity to impress Tottenham fans.
Prior to joining Villarreal in 2021, he played for Watford for close to 200 times.
The seven times-capped Frenchman at Spurs suffered because Mauricio Pochettino eventually preferred the rising Ryan Mason.
Capoue had the potential to develop into a very reliable player for Spurs over time, but at that point in his career, he couldn’t afford to stay on the sidelines.
