Few have benefited more from Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham revolution than Pedro Porro.
But the Spaniard’s successes on the pitch this season have come against the backdrop of personal strife, which he revealed to Telegraph Sport for the first time.
The 24-year-old’s childhood best friend, Mohammed Khairat Tamahaj, died at the beginning of last month after a tumor in his kidney spread to his brain.
The two first met when they were five years old and were inseparable; They walked to school together every day and played together afterwards.
“We met in Don Benito, a town in my hometown of Badajoz, where he and his family moved from Morocco in search of a better future,” Porro said.
“The best friendships are those that arise spontaneously, and that was our case. We lived nearby and one day he knocked on my door. He introduced himself, we went to school together and we were inseparable for those years. We always played together: in the schoolyard and on the street.
“Then time separated us. “I started to dedicate myself to football professionally and had to go to Madrid, Girona, Valladolid, Lisbon and now London.”
Since Mohammed’s family could not afford the cost of returning from Spain to Morocco, Porro stepped in to cover these expenses.
“I recently found out that he was sick. He had a tumor on his kidney that had spread to his head, and unfortunately everything happened very quickly,” says Porro.
“I didn’t have time to say goodbye to him. However, I learned that his family back in Morocco could not afford the cost of returning, and I offered to help them in whatever way was necessary. I know he now rests in peace with his family.”
Porro’s personal strife off the field does not seem to have affected his performances on the field.
Less than a year after his last transfer from Sporting in January, the outlook for Porro’s future looks very different to what it did at the end of last season. Upon his arrival in north London, the right-back became part of a defense in disarray and Porro was quickly labeled as another transfer misstep.
But while Porro’s attacking prowess has been tamed under Postecoglou, the defensive side of his game, which he once admitted was a weakness, has also greatly improved.
“This tactical system is new in my career because I have never played indoors,” explains Porro. “I feel very comfortable in this role, but it took some getting used to in pre-season. Ange tried to give me advice to show me how to position myself to receive the ball better inside.
“It may seem easy, but finding the gaps is not. This requires a high level of concentration because you cannot forget to defend.
“I have improved myself in the last two years of my career, especially in the defensive setup. Maybe before I was a player who was mainly interested in attack, but now I have to do more. And obviously I enjoy defending. Attacking is always more fun, but this other skill gave me confidence.”
Porro is determined to continue his and Spurs’ development after a difficult start.
“I remember the first few weeks when I was struggling with everything. On my first outing, I said to myself: ‘These guys are on the motorcycle. Either I wake up or they’ll eat me,’ says Porro.
“I needed to do more gym work. “Before I didn’t do anything in the afternoons, just preventative work, but when I came to England I had to do double sessions because the pace and intensity of the Premier League is demonic.”
Postecoglou’s methods also made a difference.
“There are sessions where the emphasis is on defence, some on attack, but the common denominator is the ball. “We always train with the ball,” explains Porro. “There is healthy competition between teammates, there are challenges between each other and there is an important good feeling to make things work. It wasn’t like this before.”
‘Kane’s departure was painful for everyone’
Tottenham’s performance despite the loss to Harry Kane was one of the surprises of the season. However, Porro would like to spend more time playing with the England captain.
“Kane’s departure was painful for everyone because he was the heart and soul of the club. “I wish we could have enjoyed him more as we didn’t get to spend much time together.
“He is a special striker who is used to scoring goals everywhere. He had no difficulty adapting to Bayern. It is undoubtedly one of the best in the world. However, I think that, as Tottenham, we were able to overcome this deficiency quickly.
“Maybe there are more authoritative voices now. For example, the son took the stick. He has improved since Kane left, he has taken charge and you can feel that inside and outside the dressing room. “People often underestimate him, maybe because he’s always in the background, but he’s an extraordinary actor.”
Tottenham’s momentum was halted by defeats from Chelsea in an epic clash with Wolves and Aston Villa.
But Porro says the goal is to win the title, even if Spurs are not clear favourites.
“We still have a long season ahead of us, but no one in the dressing room will be able to dispel the illusion of trying to win the league,” says Porro. “The work we have done so far shows us the path we need to follow,” he said.