Hugo Lloris: It’s hard being second choice at Spurs

The France captain made a surprise move to White Hart Lane from Lyon in an £8 million move on transfer deadline day, in what many considered to be somewhat of a coup for the north London outfit.

But since joining Spurs he has only started one Premier League game, with Villas-Boas preferring to pick him for Europa League duty.

In the domestic arena 41-year-old Brad Friedel is clearly favoured by the Tottenham boss, prompting an angry exchange between Villas-Boas and France manager Didier Deschamps.

The former Juventus midfielder, who has stuck with Lloris as his captain following his appointment after Euro 2012, criticised the Spurs boss over his rotation policy.

And though Lloris himself has previously fobbed off suggestions that he is displeased at being second choice behind Friedel, he suggested today that he is not content with Villas-Boas’s rotation system.

“I’m training, I do the maximum, and the coach made his choice,” he said following France’s 2-1 win over Italy.

“It is difficult to accept. It is a little hard. You will have to ask the coach. I just stay professional.”