Guglielmo Vicario has officially brought his Tottenham career to a close after joining Juventus on loan, with the Italian club holding an option to make the deal permanent for £8.5 million next summer.
The 29-year-old goalkeeper had already begun to lose his place towards the end of last season, as Antonin Kinsky became Tottenham’s preferred choice between the posts.
Vicario faced plenty of criticism during his final period at Spurs, but his time at the club was not without success. He played an important role in Tottenham’s fifth-place Premier League finish during his first season and was also part of the squad that won the Europa League in his second campaign.
Despite the difficult end to his time in North London, Vicario has spoken positively about the experience and believes it helped him grow both as a footballer and as a person.
Speaking about his Tottenham exit, the Italian goalkeeper said he does not want to focus on the past or discuss what could have been done differently. He admitted that certain situations did not work out as expected but insisted that he is now fully focused on his new chapter at Juventus.
Vicario explained that his experience abroad has helped him become more mature and gain a better understanding of different cultures, languages, dressing rooms and footballing methods. He believes every stage of his career has contributed to making him a more complete player.
The goalkeeper is now excited by the challenge of representing Juventus, a club he described as having huge history, ambition and a strong structure.
Interestingly, Vicario also had positive words for former Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi, despite the coach being responsible for dropping him from the starting lineup during Spurs’ battle to avoid relegation.
There appears to be no bitterness between the two Italians. Vicario described his relationship with De Zerbi as excellent from the beginning and praised the Tottenham boss for being honest, direct and supportive.
He revealed that De Zerbi gave him the opportunity to make the move to Juventus and remained true to his word, something Vicario says he will always appreciate.
Now at Juventus, Vicario will be hoping to put his disappointing end at Tottenham behind him and use this new opportunity to prove himself once again. He will be determined to turn a difficult chapter in North London into the start of an exciting new journey in Italy.
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