Spurs assistant believes Tottenham and Arsenal target will succeed in England

Steffen Freund, Tottenham Hotspur assistant manager. Picture: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire

Friday, January 4, 2013
3:12 PM

Lewis Holtby would have no trouble adapting to life in the Premier League, according to Tottenham assistant manager Steffen Freund.

Holtby, a full Germany international and current captain of the Under-21 side, has announced that he will leave Schalke in the summer and it is thought the midfielder would favour a move to England, where his father Chris grew up in Liverpool.

Tottenham and Arsenal are both understood to have watched the player and recent reports suggest Spurs are in pole position to sign Holtby when his contract expires.

Freund has not coached Holtby directly, but he is well aware of the midfielder’s talents from his days as a youth coach with the German national side.

Although Freund was reluctant to speak too much about the player given that Spurs have been linked with him, the coach did concede the midfielder is well cut out for English football.

“For Lewis it will not be a problem,” Freund said. “He is half-English, he loves the Premier League.

“He is captain of the Under-21s for Germany, he will lead the team at the European Championship in Israel.

“He is out of contract... I don’t have to say any more!

“I worked for under-16s and under-17s for the last three years, that is why I don’t know him really well but what I can say is that he is a really good player.”