Benoit Assou-Ekotto has slammed his former club Lens for not doing more to keep him.
Benoit Assou-Ekotto has slammed his former club Lens for not doing more to keep him.The 22-year-old joined Tottenham in the summer and although he has settled into life well at White Hart Lane, has criticised Lens for letting him down.
"I am fine. There are players that speak French so that is a help. I like the English league," he told But.
"I keep in contact with some Lens players. But when you are educated at a club, contrary to England, people take more care of the players from the outside rather than the ones who came from their own education centre.
"So at a certain time, you have to leave. The players that joined the club [Lens] after me could better negotiate than me.
"Look at a player like Steven Gerrard in England. He was demanded by Chelsea but Liverpool managed to keep him.
"It is not in the French clubs' culture to keep the players they have educated.
"Did I feel Lens didn't do its best to keep me? Of course. If I asked for something, they told me it was not possible.
"As they could not manage a strong character, they prefer to part with him.
"At Lens, they love sheep, but I am not one. Maybe that is what we missed last year, players with strong character."
