Tottenham midfielder Lewis Holtby cannot wait for next season to start after a “bad end” to last term with both club and country.
The 22-year-old German, who joined Spurs from Bundesliga outfit Schalke in January, saw his new side miss out on UEFA Champions League qualification after rivals Arsenal narrowly claimed fourth spot.
That means that they will again play in Europe’s second-tier club competition, the UEFA Europa League, and will make it even tougher to keep Welsh attacker Gareth Bale at the club in the face of reported interest from Real Madrid and Barcelona.
Holtby was named Germany captain at the Under-21 European Championship but saw his side bow out of the competition on Sunday after a defeat to Spain, with one game still to come against Russia.
The midfielder is looking forward to a chance to right the wrongs of last term and is remaining positive, setting his sights on helping Tottenham into the UEFA Champions League.
He said: “It’s been a bad end to the season, but what can I do? I can’t change it now.
“I just have to think positive. Hopefully I still have a long career ahead of me, and all my colleagues are healthy and we have no serious injuries. Sometimes you have to put things into perspective and think as a human, not just a footballer.
“I can’t wait for next season to start. I think next season is going to be my year. I can’t wait for pre-season to start. It will be my first pre-season in English football an
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“I have settled in very well with the rest of the lads. It feels as though I have been at Tottenham a lot longer than six months.
“It’s a great club and I can’t wait to try to help them into the Champions League.”
Holtby made 55 appearances for Schalke in his three-year stay at the club – which also included loan stints at Bochum and Mainz – and scored 10 goals in the process.
Holtby has also played for Germany’s national team on three occasions.
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