Antonio Conte says Steven Bergwijn must 'believe in himself more' if he wants Spurs future

Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte has said attacker Steven Bergwijn must “believe in himself more” as he fights for his future at the Premier League club.

Bergwijn has barely figured in Conte's starting XI since the Italian took over as manager and has been reduced to cameo appearances off the bench.

The 24-year-old, who was a target for Ajax in January, scored three goals in two games for the Netherlands during the international break.

Bergwijn spoke of frustration at his lack of gametime at Spurs while away with the Dutch team and said “we’ll see what happens in the summer” when asked about his future.

Conte – who has settled on a front three of Harry Kane, Son Heung-min and Dejan Kulusevski as Spurs look to secure Champions League football next season – remains convinced that Bergwijn has the quality to succeed.

“We’re talking about a player of great quality, great potential,” Conte said. “He’s different to the other players in the squad, good one v one. When the space is tight, he’s good at beating the man and scoring.

“Steven has great space for improvement, he has to try to give continuity and to continue to work in the way that he’s doing.

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“For us, he’s an important player, the type who if he starts or comes in, he can change the situation, because of a specific characteristic of superiority. Create chances for himself or the other. He has to continue to believe in himself more.

“He’s a young player with great space for improvement. He has to continue to work, to improve with and without the