Spurs star Mathys Tel reveals his best-ever teammate, it's not Kane or Son

Tottenham Hotspur winger Mathys Tel has revealed which player is the best he has ever played with – and it is not Harry Kane or Son Heung-min.

Tel joined Spurs from Bayern Munich in the January window on loan, with Ange Postecoglou’s side holding an option to buy him on a permanent deal for £45m in the summer.

This comes after the Frenchman reportedly rejected Tottenham’s initial offer to sign him in January, when he was also linked with the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal.

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The 19-year-old has had an encouraging to start to his senior career, starring for Bayern in the German Bundesliga and Champions League after signing from Rennes in the summer of 2022.

Last season, Tel scored an eventual winner against Man Utd in the group stages of the Champions League, and has appeared 16 times in the competition, while he was a frequent substitute during the Bavarians’ successful 2022/23 Bundesliga campaign, with Tel winning the title alongside current England boss Thomas Tuchel.

His game time more than doubled last year, but he was unable to stretch Bayern’s winning run in the Bundesliga, despite posting a career best of 12 top-flight goal involvements.

This season, opportunities under Vincent Kompany had been few and far between, starting just four games in all competitions. Since joining Spurs, he has already hit that milestone, and grabbed his first goal in the Lilywhites’ FA Cup defeat to Aston Villa in early February.

Speaking in an interview with TNT Sports, Mathys Tel revealed various things about his career and personal interests, such as his favourite film, his most-hated food and who he has on his phone’s wallpaper.

But perhaps most intriguing was who he believes is the best player he has played with in his career. Despite playing alongside stars such as Harry Kane, Manuel Neuer and Son Heung-min, Tel opted for former Liverpool winger Sadio Mane.

He said: “There are a lot of players, but Sadio Mane was the best. He works hard every day, after training, before and after the game, so he’s an example for me.”

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Given both players share the same position, it is perhaps not a surprise to see Tel snub the likes of Kane and Son, despite their supreme goalscoring exploits in Tottenham colours.

Sadio Mane was at Bayern for the 2022/23 season before swapping the Bundesliga for the Saudi Pro League, where he now links up with Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr.

Tel and Mane only shared the pitch on 11 occasions, which goes to show the effect the Senegalese star had on the French youngster during their short time together.

So Spurs fans may not need to hold a grudge against the winger, who could yet become a new hero in the years to come if he signs on at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium when the season is over.