Wednesday 25 July 2018 08:52, UK
Tottenham midfielder Erik Lamela says he is raring to go for the new season and is hoping he has finally put his injury problems behind him.
The 26-year-old Argentina international was out for more than a year with a hip injury but returned last season, making 33 appearances and scoring four goals.
He is with the squad in the United States preparing for the International Champions Cup and is looking forward to playing a major part in the new campaign.
"I am ready for the next season," he told Sky Sports News. "I am preparing in training to try to arrive at my best fitness and condition to play.
"It was difficult, for one year and two months I stopped playing football and it was really hard for me but now it is different, now I am ready, I am training normally with the team and this is very important for me."
Lamela, who joined Tottenham from Roma in 2013 for a then club-record £30m, recently signed a new four-year contract which will keep him at Spurs until 2022.
"I am very happy with this," he went on. "It is a pleasure for me to play for this club. I have very good relations with my team-mates and all the people that work here."
Lamela has already made a promising start to pre-season scoring a hat-trick in a 6-0 win over Southend and he is now hoping to impress in the International Champions Cup.
Tottenham are playing three games beginning against Lamela's former club Roma on Thursday. They then face Barcelona on Sunday followed by AC Milan next Wednesday.
Spurs kick-off their Premier League campaign against Newcastle on August 11 live on Sky Sports.
