Lucas: “I love this club, I love the fans, I love to play for Tottenham”

Lucas Moura paid tribute to both our fans and our medical staff after he made his return to action in Wednesday’s 3-2 Champions League win over Eintracht Frankfurt.

After spending six weeks on the treatment table as he recovered from a tendon issue he picked up in August, our electric Brazilian came off the bench for the final four minutes against Eintracht as we returned to winning ways in the competition and moved to the top of Group D.

A player that lives and breathes football, Lucas has been desperate to return to the pitch, admitting it had been a ‘difficult’ few weeks on the sidelines.

However, for our number 27, the chance to return to action in the Champions League – a competition he obviously has such a special history with – was perfect. Then, to have our fans give him such rousing reception as he stepped back out at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, showing just how highly regarded he is in these parts, meant the world to him.

“I am very, very happy to be back,” he smiled at full-time. “First of all, I have to say thank you to the medical staff, the physios, my personal physios as well. They helped me a lot and I could feel the effort that they made to help me, and they could also feel my pain. It is very difficult being out, so I need to thank you to all of them.

“And then, I’m very happy to play again, to help my team-mates again because this is what I love to do, to play football. Now I need to recover my best form and shape and do my best.

“It was amazing to feel the affection from the fans. I don’t have the words to explain it. It is a big motivation for me. I love this club, I love the fans, I love to play for Tottenham so to feel the welcome back, the warmth from them. It was amazing. It helped me a lot.”