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'It took me three seconds to spot Aaron Lennon's talent, now he's a 90-minute hit'
Former Leeds coach Greg Abbott pays tribute to Spurs star ahead of hometown return
Tom Collomosse
24 January 2013
How about this for a transfer deal — £500,000 up front for a player who would become one of the best wingers in England, make nearly 300 appearances for his club before the age of 26 and compete in two World Cups.
It seems too good to be true but those at Elland Road for Sunday’s FA Cup fourth-round tie will know otherwise. Seven-and-a-half years after leaving Leeds United, Aaron Lennon should play against his hometown team for the first time since he made the move to Tottenham for that initial £500,000 fee, payable because although Lennon was out of contract, he was only 18.
Although Lennon was excellent during 2009, Harry Redknapp’s first full year at Tottenham, his eighth season at White Hart Lane is shaping up to be his most impressive.
Dangerous, diligent and destructive, the 25-year-old seems more confident in his talent than he ever has been. Three goals and many chances created tell only a part of the story, as his defensive work and tactical aptitude have been exemplary.
Sources speak of Lennon’s healthy relationship with manager Andre Villas-Boas. The winger is thought to appreciate the clarity of the head coach’s instructions, his honesty and insistence on being always available for individual conversations.
Similarly, Lennon is said to have “come out of himself” and assumed greater responsibility within the dressing room, as befits one of Tottenham’s longest-serving players. He signed a new four-year contract nearly five months ago.
It was not always thus. Greg Abbott, a former coach of Leeds’ youth sides, needed “three seconds” to spot Lennon’s ability in an Under-14 match in 2001 but wondered whether a move to London would represent too much, too soon.
Abbott, now manager of League One side Carlisle, told Standard Sport: “Planting him in London was probably done a year too early. Manchester United and Liverpool wanted him and they are much closer to his family in Leeds.
“I believe he found it hard work in London because Aaron is a family boy but he got over it. At Leeds I made sure I was always there for Aaron and his family if there were any issues.
“I went to his house and drove him to games to make sure we weren’t caught out by interest from other clubs. We got him to sign a pro contract with Leeds, he played 43 games and got his move. I spoke to him before our Capital One Cup game against Spurs last September and he was still so grounded. He wasn’t talking about his success or lifestyle but about his family and time at Leeds. He gave me a signed shirt and it has pride of place.”
Before this season, Lennon’s form ebbed and flowed. Then as now, one of few consistent traits was a reluctance to discuss his job with the media. To some who don’t know him, Lennon can appear taciturn, even brusque. Those who are better-acquainted say he is shy and, like Manchester United’s famously reticent midfielder Paul Scholes, unwilling to be the centre of attention.
Yet Lennon’s displays have ensured he stands out from the crowd. The improvements in his passing and in the use of his weaker left foot have convinced Abbott that Lennon could one day play as a central attacking midfielder.
Frank Arnesen, who brought Lennon to Spurs, left for Chelsea before he could work with his signing but is still proud of the transfer. “We paid about £500,000 for Aaron and he and Tom Huddlestone cost a combined £1.1million initially,” said the Hamburg sporting director. “To sign him for that amount was a no-brainer. In January 2006, Arsenal did a £12m deal for Theo Walcott but we’d taken Aaron for much less. I saw him for Leeds at Watford and he didn’t play his best but I could see the material — the pace, the dribble, the cross.
“I was involved in deals for Ronaldo, Arjen Robben, Jaap Stam and Ruud van Nistelrooy at PSV Eindhoven but Aaron is up there with the best, when you look at the fee and what he has produced.”
Arnesen also recognised the problems Lennon might face in adapting to life in the capital but, as the player prepares to return to Leeds, where he grew up in the inner-city suburb of Little London, Lennon’s next challenge is to unlock all his potential.
“I still don’t think he realises how much of a threat his pace and quality can be,” said Joe Jordan, Spurs’ first-team coach under Redknapp.
When that happens, Lennon will be a terrifying opponent indeed — and that £500,000, rising to £1million, already looks like some of the best money Spurs have ever spent.
Frank Arnesen on Lennon
I was involved in deals for Ronaldo, Arjen Robben, Jaap Stam and Ruud van Nistelrooy but Aaron is up there with the best.
Greg Abbott on Lennon
He’ll always go past people but I can see him playing just behind a centre-forward in a 4-2-3-1. His vision is better than he gets credit for.
Joe Jordan on Lennon
He’s still improving — people forget he’s 25. It’s difficult for wingers to get into the game but he is finding a way more and more.
AVB on Lennon
He has been massive. Sometimes he lives in the shadows but he recognises he can be at another level in terms of his performances.
http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/foo...ns-talent-now-hes-a-90minute-hit-8464721.html
