During an interview with Football Insider, Darren Bent has backed Danny Rose to seek a Tottenham exit. The former Premier League forward believes that Rose’s time in north London is up and the left-back should consider moving down to the Championship, even at the cost of losing all hopes of getting into the England team.
“That’s what he needs to weigh up ‘do I waste a whole season and not play or do I go somewhere in the Championship and go and play week in, week out, play really well and get back to enjoying my football’. There’s nothing worse and not enjoyable when you’re at a club you don’t really want to be at, and you’re not even on the bench and not playing at all,” Bent told Football Insider.
Tottenham’s Left-Back Conundrum
Tottenham Hotspur’s problems last season, especially in the left-back department have been well documented. Their summer signing Ryan Sessegnon struggled with injuries and form, ultimately failing to establish himself in the first-team while Danny Rose eventually moved to Newcastle United on loan.
It left Ben Davies as the only reliable option at left-back. But even the Welshman suffered niggles throughout the campaign, forcing Jose Mourinho to rely on Jan Vertonghen for a time. It ultimately did not reflect well to their overall campaign, as Spurs finished sixth in the league table.
This season, however, Mourinho has done well to bring in Sergio Reguilon. The ex-Real Madrid star has shown promising signs early on while Davies has also remained fit so far, giving Tottenham two quality options at left-back.
Can Danny Rose Be Useful?
On paper, at least, Danny Rose is currently the third-choice left-back for Tottenham Hotspur this season, behind Reguilon and Davies. The two have been used wisely by Mourinho, splitting game-time between the cup and league games.
As far as Rose is concerned, however, he is unlikely to have any future at Spurs. The Englishman doesn’t have a great relationship with Mourinho to begin with, which is combined with sporting issues such as the player’s poor injury record and receding form over the past couple of years.
Even from a tactical perspective, Reguilon and Davies are better fitted to Mourinho’s philosophy due to their contrasting style of play rather than the balanced nature of Rose.
What Should Be His Next Step?
Rose should immediately seek a move away from Tottenham Hotspur if he is to have any hopes of reviving his career. Fortunately for the left-back, the domestic transfer window in England is open until 16th October, meaning he can still hope for a move to Championship.
While that may, as Bent rightly pointed out, could diminish his hopes of sealing a place in the England side this summer, the Championship has grown in stature in recent years and has become an ideal platform for players to showcase their quality.
Players like Ben White, Kalvin Phillips, Daniel James have all succeeded in the Championship in recent years, and Rose, despite his age, should follow their footsteps, rather than rotting on the Tottenham bench for another year.
