Cristian Romero believes his decision to come to Tottenham was the right one and that he can continue to grow with the club.
The 24-year-old signed on loan from Atalanta last summer and that move will be made permanent after this season ends. For Romero, the campaign has brought injuries, including a three months absence with a hamstring problem and a hip injury suffered during a fine performance at Liverpool looks to have ended his season three games from its finish.
However, Romero has still got 30 matches for Tottenham under his belt, including 22 in the Premier League and he has settled well into English football with his aggressive, front foot style of defending a perfect fit for the country and Antonio Conte's team.
READ MORE: Levy's message to Tottenham fans has one key word missing and it's the one Conte needs to hear
"I have to say I'm pleased with the decision to come to Tottenham. It’s a wonderful city here in London and a wonderful club - a club with a growing mentality that’s actually helping me to grow on a personal level. I can say the same about the league, which is the best in the world," Romero said in an interview printed in the club's matchday programme for Sunday's win against Burnley.
"I'm very happy to be here. The way the club is treating me - the staff, the fans - is brilliant and for me, that means I’m doing my job well. I hope things continue in this way and we can finish the season positively."
He added: "l was very angry about the injury - it kept me away for three months and it meant I couldn't pay back the confidence that the club had shown by investing in me, so I set the goal to be in my best shape when I returned to prove to everyone that it was the right call.
"I think now, coming to the end of the season, I've been okay in the main, but I'm aware that the team and myself need to improve a lot of things. We're at a club with amazing players and a great coach who pushes you to improve and grow, so that’s my daily goal - to get the best out of the opportunities I have and to keep improving and getting better."
Off the pitch, Romero became a father towards the end of last year and that has only helped his settling into English life and the city of London.
"My first son was born in London, so this city and this club will forever be in my heart because of that," he said. "I'm enjoying the city a lot with my wife and my family - it’s an amazing place - and in terms of the football club, I have a lot of great relationships with people in the squad as well.
"If we speak about my adaptation when I first arrived here, the main person who really helped me to settle in was Gio [Lo Celso] - he was the one who I spent the most time with. Sadly he left the club on loan, but we have a great group of players here and I get on with all my team-mates nowadays."
Romero is a popular member of the Tottenham squad and while he continues to learn English, those who speak his fluent languages have helped him along.
"I'd say because of the language barrier, I get on mostly with the Spanish and Italian-speaking players that we have, people like Rodrigo [Bentancur], Dejan [Kulusevski], Pierluigi [Gollini], Hugo [Lloris, Davinson [Sanchez] and Emerson [Royal]," explained the defender. "We have a great group here and a really good relationship in the locker room, which helps us on and off the pitch."
Those relationships are also on display with the back three under Conte, with the more experienced Eric Dier and Ben Davies forming a strong unit with Romero. At Liverpool this month, against one of the best attacks in the world, the trio combined to produce 29 clearances and eight blocked shots.
"With Eric, it's been really good because he also speaks Spanish and with Ben, I have a great relationship as well," Romero said. "I guess you can see this on the pitch. We've put in a lot of effort since Conte's arrival and we've done lots of tactical work every day.
"Changes are not always easy at the beginning but after a few games with the boss, we adapted well to what we needed to do and we have to continue working like this to achieve good results. We are happy with the way we are working, but at the same time we are always looking to improve."
