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Tottenham man Serge Aurier responds to Roy Keane criticism

Will Butcher

Mon 24 February 2020 13:15, UK

Serge Aurier has blasted Sky Sports pundit Roy Keane for his comments on the Tottenham Hotspur defender after his error during Liverpool’s 2-1 win over Spurs back in October at Anfield,

Aurier, 27, gave away a penalty as Liverpool nicked a late 2-1 win against Spurs – one of Mauricio Pochettino’s final games in charge of the north London club. Certainly, Aurier is renowned for being somewhat of a liability in defence.

Since Jose Mourinho arrived as Pochettino’s replacement at Spurs, though, Aurier has since been first choice – starting every Premier League match until Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to Chelsea, in which he only managed a substitute appearance.

Back in October, Keane branded Tottenham’s full-backs Aurier and Danny Rose as “dumb and dumber”, Four months on, Aurier was asked about the Manchester United legend’s criticism – and he hit back.

“I didn’t even want to answer that. The players who have finished their careers, who go on television and who dare to speak badly of the players, for me, these are not people who must be answered,”

“When you were a player and the journalists spoke about you, you took it badly because you had a family … You can afford to give your opinion. But, there, for me, he forgot that he had been a player.”

TBR’s view – Aurier slowly improving under Mourinho

Perhaps the criticism from Keane has spurred Aurier on, but certainly the arrival of Mourinho and the trust and faith placed in the 60-time Ivory Coast international has seen the defender take his game to a new level.

Although he did not start against Chelsea, Aurier has certainly become first choice despite the emergence of Japhet Tanganga and a brief spell of Juan Foyth at right-back. He is getting better and better, and Spurs fans should begin to trust him too.