Moura's message

Lucas Moura provided one of our all-time great moments that fans are no doubt happy to re-visit at home during these difficult times - his message for now is ‘stay safe, follow the rules’.

The popular Brazilian carved his name in Spurs folklore last May with a dramatic second half hat-trick to beat Ajax in Amsterdam - the third goal in added time - and send us through to the Champions League Final for the first time.

It must be right up there with re-runs fans are watching for their daily dose of Spurs as we self-isolate in the face of the coronavirus.

“Yes, I’ve watched this a lot of times!” said Lucas, speaking to us on Thursday, ahead of the announcement that the professional game in England will be further postponed until no earlier than 30 April due to COVID-19.

“In this spirit we need to stay at home and watch movies, play with the kids, enjoy the family. This is a time to think about life, to think about everything we can do differently and to improve as humans.

“It’s a different moment for everyone, a difficult moment for the world. We need to stay safe, to follow the rules and I’m sure we will pass this moment quickly.”

Born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Lucas followed his footballing dream and a new life in Europe when he signed for Paris Saint-Germain in 2013. Five years later, he bounced into Hotspur Way, and that trademark smile has been a feature every day since.

Naturally, he’s thinking of his family back home in the current climate. “Yes, I speak to them every day, just saying the same things, to stay at home, to take care,” he added. “Of course, I am worried about my parents because for older people, it’s worse. I think about them all the time.

“I’ve never seen a situation like this. It’s strange for everyone, different for everyone, but we need to stay positive, follow the rules, stay at home and like I said, I’m sure we will pass this and come back to normal.”