HThe club fought to keep me Defender admits his Tottenham departure turned into a disaster.
Tottenham have had their share of inconsistent right-backs since Kyle Walker’s departure. Serge Aurier was known for costly mistakes, while Matt Doherty couldn’t maintain the promising form he showed early on.
Another player who failed to win over the Spurs fanbase was Emerson Royal. Although well-liked off the pitch, many supporters felt his performances lacked the required quality.
Emerson Royal insists Tottenham never wanted to sell him
Emerson has opened up about the problems he faced after leaving North London for AC Milan, saying he was constantly judged by Italian fans based on the reputation he built at Tottenham. He believes this treatment was unfair, as he felt he had improved significantly during his time at Spurs.
According to the defender, Tottenham actually tried to keep him when Milan came calling. Speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport, he explained:
“I arrived in Italy with a strange feeling from the very beginning. Whatever I did or said, I was talked about more than Cristiano Ronaldo—just in a negative way. I felt I had to work twice as hard to be accepted, and even then I wasn’t.
“That video that circulated was manipulated to look recent, but it was from a difficult period under Conte. Fans comment on everything, that’s normal. But when I decided to leave Tottenham, the club wanted me to stay because I had improved so much. I had a great relationship with everyone.
“I’m not someone who gets affected easily because I know my worth. But arriving somewhere and feeling that wave of hatred without even playing a minute wasn’t pleasant. My family and friends suffered too. Nobody wants to hear certain things when they’re just trying to do their job.”
Spurs have moved on without Emerson
Despite his claims, Tottenham have not felt his absence. Pedro Porro has established himself as the club’s best right-back in years, and with Djed Spence and Archie Gray also available, Emerson would have struggled for minutes had he stayed.
Emerson’s time in Italy was short-lived as well. After just one season at AC Milan, he moved on and now plays for Flamengo in Brazil.
