Tottenham’s Antonin Kinsky: ‘Roberto De Zerbi forces you to believe in yourself’

After Tottenham Hotspur stayed up on the final day of the Premier League season with a 1-0 win over Everton, Roberto De Zerbi revealed in his post-match press conference that he had considered handing Antonin Kinsky the captain’s armband for his first game in charge against Sunderland.

While he decided to stick with club captain Cristian Romero for the 1-0 defeat at the Stadium of Light, it was an admission by De Zerbi that he didn’t quite know or understand the conviction of the character he had inherited between the sticks. Three weeks before De Zerbi’s arrival, Kinsky had made two mistakes in Spurs’ Champions League last-16 tie against Atletico Madrid, but the Italian backed his goalkeeper.

“I wasn’t,” Kinsky says, when asked whether he was aware at the time that De Zerbi was considering handing him the armband. “I’m quite happy he didn’t do it. He wanted to encourage me after what happened against Atletico. On the other hand, when he came, he knew me. He knew that I don’t need any encouragement.”

Kinsky might well be the most self-assured player at Tottenham, and you would be hard-pressed to find a more confident player anywhere else in the Premier League.

On the surface, that seems a slightly ridiculous statement. The Premier League is full of superstars, some of whom are his team-mates. Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes have just joined the club for a combined £185million ($250m). Tottenham beat off Manchester City and Manchester United for their signatures. Kinsky joined the club 18 months ago for £12.5million and has made just 13 Premier League appearances. The Czech goalkeeper is uncapped at senior international level.

And that’s before you consider the psychological damage that his mistakes in Madrid could, and probably should, have caused. Being substituted in the 17th minute and leaving the pitch in tears after early mistakes in a 5-2 defeat is the kind of Sliding Doors moment that can end a career at the top level. As it transpired, it turned out to be the start.

“All I need is to hear that (De Zerbi) is confident in me, that he trusts in me, and that he gives me some time on the pitch,” Kinsky, 23, told reporters at Spurs House, a dedicated fan space in Sydney showcasing the club’s identity and history. “That was key because, as I said in all the interviews after the Atletico game, I was feeling well in that game. Even after the game, what happened happened.

“I just made sure I (continued) doing what I’m supposed to do: training well and working hard. This is where my confidence comes from. I was confident after as well. So (being made captain) wouldn’t change anything. It would just be taking big attention, which was not necessary. It was not about me.”

Kinsky was inspired under De Zerbi as Tottenham staved off relegation. His performance in the 1-1 draw against Leeds United will live long in the memory for many Spurs fans. He made two world-class saves to keep the scores level, including a brilliant instinctive stop to turn Sean Longstaff’s powerful close-range strike over the bar late in the game.

Kinsky demonstrates his confidence most with the ball at his feet. He is already showing how he could develop into the Premier League’s most gifted and ambitious distributor from the goalkeeper position, displaying a range of incisive passing from short, middle and long distances. Under De Zerbi, who considers his goalkeepers the first and among the most crucial players in his attacking build-up, Kinsky has the perfect platform to showcase his skills.

“What he says to everyone, what he says to me, definitely gives me the confidence,” he says. “If you don’t feel the confidence, you might play a bit more safe. If you feel the confidence, you can play to the best of your ability. In certain situations where there is risk, it makes it easier to go closer to the edge. Sometimes, that is where the difference is made in games.

“He forces you to believe in yourself and be the best version on the pitch. For example, if I or anyone makes two bad passes, the next time maybe I make an easy pass. But under De Zerbi, no. It’s like you made two good passes. If the intention was good, it’s just about the ability.

“If you combine these two things — playing as best you can and enjoying the game — that enables you to perform at your best level. This is always his message, above all the tactics.”

As well as De Zerbi, Kinsky credits his impressive confidence and strong mentality to three people: his mother, his father (also named Antonin Kinsky, a five-cap Czech international goalkeeper), and his “personal coach”, Lukas Stransky. He says his parents have raised him to “never be too high or low”, and to accept that setbacks will arise, but to know that it’s not because of a lack of skill or capability. Stransky, however, came into his life at 14, and his mindset “completely switched” how Kinsky approached his development.

“He’s one of those people who you see, and you are like, ‘Wow, a great person’. A confident person,” he says of Stransky. “I call him ‘personal’, but he’s my conditioning coach. I’ve worked with him for nine or 10 years.

“The reason we have worked so long is not just the quality of the way we work in the gym, but the quality as a person. When I met him at 14, he impressed me. Of course I didn’t tell him from the beginning, but when I saw him, he was such a confident, humble person, with big results behind him, and this is the way I always wanted to be and what I was going for.”

After his sparkling seven-game stretch under De Zerbi, the Italian has made Kinsky his No 1 ahead of Guglielmo Vicario, who is expected to depart. Kinsky was also handed a new contract, a major demonstration of faith in a ‘keeper who seems tailor-made for his style. Premier League veteran Martin Dubravka, 37, has been recruited as his backup after making 35 league appearances for relegated Burnley last season, providing Kinsky with an experienced competitor.

“It’s great,” Kinsky says. “There is one Czech player in the Premier League, me, and one Slovakian player in the Premier League, him. Eventually, we ended up in the same team, which is great because we speak almost the same language. It’s very different because in English it’s difficult to speak about certain things. But because he’s so similar to me — his background is also very similar, he’s a goalkeeper — we have so many things to speak about.

“I’m happy that he’s here because of his qualities. He works well, so the competitiveness is high in training, and then we discuss everything. All the situations and details. I enjoy it, and I’m happy that he is here.”