Matt Doherty has enjoyed quite the renaissance at Spurs.
Only a couple of months ago, it looked as though his time at the club was quickly coming to an end. He had been out of favour under three different managers, with reports even suggesting that he could have returned to Wolves in January.
He opted to remain in North London, a decision that has been more than justified in recent weeks.
The Irishman has starred under Antonio Conte as Spurs have made their top four push, with his brilliant performance against Newcastle at the weekend meaning he has now registered two goals and four assists in his last six games.
They've turned it around! 💥
Matt Doherty dives in at the back post to head Harry Kane's cross into the back of the net and put Tottenham 2-1 up! pic.twitter.com/SFV93JH6K5— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 3, 2022
He now looks set to play a key role in Spurs' quest to secure Champions League football for next season.
Antonio Conte full of praise for Matt Doherty
Speaking to the media ahead of the game against Aston Villa on Saturday, Antonio Conte summed up how impressed he has been with Matt Doherty in recent weeks.
Matthew is the typical player that is showing big improvement. If you remember at the start he didn't play a lot with me because at that moment I think he didn't deserve to play. Then he worked very hard.
He is a really good guy and in every training session you see the desire and the will to improve himself.
He has a great mentality, many times when players don't play a lot they go down mentally. Instead he has shown me to be strong and shown me 'I do what you want, I am going to improve and when I am ready I want to play'.
He has shown me that not with talking, but with attitude and behaviour. He is playing very well and with great confidence and I am very happy for him. It's a good example for everyone.
Matt Doherty is a perfect fit in the Conte's preferred system, and while it took him a couple of months to get up to speed with the Italian's demands, he is now thriving.
That is a welcome sight for both Spurs and Ireland supporters.