Tanganga: “I’m itching to just go and play”

2020 will be a year that many of the world will want to leave behind but for Japhet Tanganga, it is a year he will never forget.

The COVID-19 pandemic that has changed our entire world will be the footprint left on our minds by 2020, yet, for Japhet, so much more has happened.

It was in January that the defender made his breakthrough into our first team – bursting onto the scene with an impressive showing against Liverpool. He went on to appear in 10 of our next 14 games before a back problem kept him out of action until July, when he was back in the squad for our final four Premier League games.

The defender signed a new long-term deal with Club at the end of July that will keep him in north London until 2025 but, with his injury and the three-month suspension of football, the England youth international has not been involved on the pitch for us since March’s Champions League trip to RB Leipzig – now he’s desperate to return to action.

“My last game? it was about five months ago,” Japhet recalled. “It’s been a long time. I’m itching to just go and play.

“The injury was frustrating but I’m a firm believer of everything happens for a reason and maybe this happened to give me some time for my body to rest. Trying to look at in a positive way, it helped my body recover and settle down. It was frustrating but as I say, I think everything happens for a reason.

“It gave me the opportunity to watch back some of the games that my dad had recorded for me on the TV to watch back some of my performances – to see what I did well and what I could have done better. Now the goal is to be back as soon as possible. Then to try and be available for all the games over the rest of the season.”