Jermain Defoe shares ‘amazing’ Thomas Frank reveal on phone after Tottenham win v Burnley

Tottenham began their 2025/26 Premier League campaign with a promising 3-0 win against newly promoted Burnley.

Former Tottenham midfielder Scott Parker’s return to North London wasn’t as fruitful as he would have liked, with Thomas Frank getting the better of him.

Richarlison scored a double against the Clarets, before Brennan Johnson rounded off a perfect 3-0 home win on Saturday afternoon.

Frank has already received plenty of plaudits for what he has done with Spurs, and former Lilywhites striker Jermain Defoe is the latest to heap praise on the former Brentford boss.

Tottenham star Richarlison with his tongue out.
Credit: Imago

Defoe reveals insight he gained from Frank meeting

Frank has changed a lot since joining Spurs already, despite only bringing in Mohammed Kudus for £55million so far.

The changes the Dane has made haven’t gone unnoticed by supporters and former players, with Defoe having witnessed firsthand how he approaches coaching.

Speaking while on the phone to Sky Sports News after the win against Burnley, Defoe said: “I went in last season because I know Justin Cochrane, so Justin invited me in just to pick the manager’s brain because I was just finishing my A license.

“To go in and watch him up close, it was amazing because I thought I was going to go in and just watch from the sidelines.

“He said to me to come into the meeting, and a lot of his messages were quite simple, really; he didn’t complicate anything.

“A lot of the good stuff he said was about being out of possession, and when he was appointed, I was so happy because I thought he was going to improve this team.”

After throwing away a 2-0 lead against PSG in the UEFA Super Cup in midweek, Frank will be particularly happy with his side’s ability to bounce back, though they will need to do more than that against Manchester City next week.

Frank will need to show his experience against Man City

Tottenham face a tough test against Pep Guardiola’s Man City in their next Premier League outing.

DateResult
26/02/25THFC 0-1 MCFC
23/11/24MCFC 0-4 THFC
30/10/24THFC 2-1 MCFC

Last season, Ange Postecoglou seemed to figure out the Spaniard’s tactics and way of playing, and it will be interesting to see if Frank can do the same.

The Dane has developed a decent record of his own against Man City, having won two, drawn one, and lost two of his last five against the Citizens.

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