Antonio Conte to thank as Tottenham star explains club loyalty; ‘plateau’ claim made

Tottenham skipper Hugo Lloris says the arrival of Antonio Conte is partly why he agreed to pen a new contract with the club.

In January, Lloris signed a two-year extension which will keep him at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium until 2024. His previous terms were due to expire in the summer, meaning he was free to speak with interested clubs over a potential free transfer.

And there had been rumours of Tottenham replacing the Frenchman with a younger shot-stopper. Sam Johnstone and Nick Pope are both on the club’s radar, according to reports. And Conte also has Italian keeper Pierluigi Gollini at his disposal.

But rather than a parting of ways this summer, Lloris decided to extend his spell in north London. Should the World Cup winner retire at the end of his contract, when he will be 37, it will see his time at Spurs reach 12 years.

The player joined from Lyon for an £11.8million fee and has gone on to make 407 appearances in all competitions. However, he is yet to win a trophy with the side as their last piece of silverware came in 2008.

During a recent interview, Lloris was quizzed about his decision to extend at Spurs. He spoke about the uncertainty surrounding the team before Conte’s arrival in November.

“I extended a month and a half ago,” Lloris said (via the Daily Mail). “Things were done fairly quickly with the leaders, with a lot of respect and consideration.

“It’s been two and a half years that we know ups and downs, irregularity in terms of results. But since the arrival of Conte, we feel a real progression.

“We have the feeling that we are crossing a plateau. I think we will be ready to go for the European places.”

A reporter from French newspaper L’Equipe recently asked Lloris if he was ‘tired’ of ‘carrying’ a