‘Stadium effort makes me feel proud’ – Michel

Michel Vorm has praised the work being done at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as the nation continues to battle the outbreak of coronavirus.

During this period of national crisis, our new home has been handed over to the NHS, with familiar player areas transformed into a facility for North Middlesex Hospital’s Women’s Outpatient Services, assisting the redirection of pregnant women away from the hospital itself.

Meanwhile, our huge basement car park is accommodating drive-through COVID-19 testing, making ours the first stadium in London to be used for this purpose, while our ‘pitch pocket’ – where the retractable pitch is housed during non-football events at the stadium – is being utilised as a food distribution hub by Haringey Council, working with the London Food Alliance to ensure produce reaches the most vulnerable and in-need within our community. Jose Mourinho is even lending his support by delivering fresh produce from our Kitchen Garden at the Training Centre to the hub for distribution.

“As a Club, we’re always very committed with the community,” said veteran goalkeeper Michel, who, like the rest of the squad, is training individually at home throughout this unprecedented period of social lockdown.

“This is one of the best things the Club could have done, to give back in this way.

“We have the space and facilities – obviously we’ve been in the stadium many times to know that – and it’s amazing, so if we can use it in this kind of way, that’s so positive for everyone.”

Football, of course, is not the priority at present but Michel, reflecting on recent times with us this week, said he was pleased to have finally had a chance to play in our new stadium in the last home game before the COVID-19 outbreak.

Released at the conclusion of his contract last summer, just three months after the stadium opened, the experienced custodian never got the chance to play a match in our world-class new abode. But having re-signed in October, he made his first appearance since October, 2018, when he was selected for the FA Cup fifth round tie against Norwich City last month, which we ultimately lost in the lottery of a penalty shootout, despite an important save from the Dutchman.

“After more than a year, coming back and playing again, obviously the end result was not there but for myself personally I was happy I could play in the new stadium,” he added.

“At the end of the day, it’s different than training. Especially after a very strange period that I’ve been through, not only this period but also before that (when he was without a club at the start of the season), it was nice to have that feeling.”