EMBARGO 10.30 PM SATURDAY MARCH 9
By Mike McGrath
The smile on Pape Sarr’s face widens as he explains his ambitions in computer science. He is asked if he is talking about playing FIFA or gaming. “No, the electronic things behind the screen,” he says enthusiastically.
Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou was right when he said Sarr never stops smiling. On the pitch, where he has made his mark in the Premier League this season, or when he walks into the training room. The grin is ever present and is the hallmark of a young player who is now teammates with the idols he saw on television a few years ago.
Sarr then bursts out laughing and agrees with the analogy that the Spurs team is like a computer. Players like Son Heung-min and James Maddison can be seen in attack, while Sarr works hard behind them to help his teammates function.
“We are a family. Maybe it’s a bit like the way a computer works. I try to bring my football intelligence to the party, my view of the game,” he said. “I have done some research here and there about the route I want to take.
“I haven’t started formal studies yet because I don’t really have much time. I’ll start taking lessons in a year or two. They’re not games I’m interested in.”
Sarr’s gameplay on the pitch is like an information processor, assessing where to stand at the bottom of midfield and when to move his team forward. In a busy market, he claims to be one of the young players of the season after breaking through at Spurs under Postecoglou. He has drawn comparisons with Yaya Toure, who coached at Spurs’ academy last season but never met the young midfielder.
The 21-year-old’s rise came after a starring role at Senegal’s Génération Foot academy, where alumni include Sadio Mane. It wasn’t exactly the pampered life of the Premier League academies, which is where Sarr believes his infectious, smiling attitude comes from.
“When I was at my academy in Senegal, we were a bunch of young boys, basically locked up,” Sarr said. “The way of life we had was great to be honest, we didn’t have too much access to mobile phones. We had to have fun, make jokes and laugh a lot together.
“I try to maintain that, because I think it is important to laugh and be full of joy in everyday life. I’m just like that. I am a smiley person, cheerful.”
His impact has been notable this season, but it has come a long way since his childhood in Senegal, when he was coached – “pushed”, as he describes it – by his father Sidath, a manager in his home country and former goalkeeper. coach of the national team. Sarr’s brother plays in Luxembourg and there was a dedication to football from an early age.
“I was born into a real football family. Even my mom, who isn’t really into it, it was kind of imposed on her because so many of us play,” he said. “My father is a coach and has played a big role in my career. My big brother too. Because my father is so demanding and pressures me, I have been able to progress quickly in my career. It helped me.”
As a child, he was also given the nickname Roberto Carlos, which was given to him by an uncle. “I had a very powerful shot on me. I’ve never lost it, but I’m not that close to the mark these days. I’m too far away to try,” he said.
His first stop after Génération Foot was Metz, where he followed the path Mane had walked. Then it didn’t take long before he won the African Cup of Nations with his hero. “It was always my dream to meet Sadio Mane because, honestly, he is a hero for all of Africa, not just for the academy,” said Sarr.
“Now I am his teammate in the national team. You try to get as much out of his advice as possible. He is a role model for me and many others. I wish him all the best as he nears the end of his career.”
After being loaned back to Metz after his move to Spurs, he returned to Tottenham and had to wait for his chance last season. It was a difficult time as he leaned on the support of his ‘big brother’ Yves Bissouma, but then seized his opportunity with standout performances against AC Milan and Arsenal.
“It was really a big help,” Sarr said. “I started a new life, not just a new club. I benefited from the advice of many teammates, not only Yves, even though he was a big help: Hugo Lloris, Pierre Hojbjerg, Ivan Perisic. It was a difficult time because I wasn’t playing regularly.
“Yves is a man I greatly appreciate. We both came over from Africa and he gives me a lot of advice. He acts a bit like my big brother. He has an important role within the team and the club. I always listen to what he has to say.
“Playing those games last season are moments I will remember forever. Playing such big matches is a dream come true, something you aspire to as a young person. Regardless of the results, which were not to our liking, they were still fantastic experiences.
“I think part of it is down to all the hard work I put in that first year. Although I was not playing, I did not lower my head or let my desire and faith diminish. I will never stop believing in my abilities and myself. But I am honest enough with myself to realize that nothing has been achieved yet.
“I still have a long way to go and a lot to learn. Perhaps the easiest part is reaching the top. The hardest thing is to maintain that level and stay there.”
While he speaks French, Sarr and the rest of the team understand the language of football. “If it’s instructions in a team conversation, you pick it up right away, you don’t have to speak English well,” he said.
And Sarr was a charismatic part of the team.
“He never stops laughing, what more could you want from a footballer?” was Postecoglou’s line. Maddison, meanwhile, has highlighted Sarr’s fashion sense in his social media posts.
“Football players are almost models off the field, I think. I love it when Madders posts stuff and makes videos, not just of me but of the other guys too. It’s funny, we can laugh about it. When you have things like that in common, it helps bond as a family and as a group of players,” said Sarr, who could end up being the best-dressed IT engineer.