It’s ‘fun’ to be praised by Pep Guardiola

Lucas Bergvall says receiving praise from Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is an enjoyable experience.

The young Tottenham midfielder earned admiration from the Spanish coach following his impressive display against City in late February, despite Spurs falling to a 1-0 defeat at home.

While Tottenham endured a frustrating evening, Bergvall’s performance in midfield stood out as a highlight for Ange Postecoglou’s side.

His impact on the game caught the attention of Guardiola, who spoke highly of the Swedish international in his post-match press conference.

“Bergvall, every time he has the ball and runs, he’s unstoppable,” said Guardiola.

“Spence, Pedro Porro, Udogie, Kulusevski, Son. It’s an incredible physical team with a clear idea to play, and they play really good.”

Lucas Bergvall: “I don’t think it’s been a fair season to be honest. Not considering how much damage we have had. I don’t know what the reason is but as we have talked about with Dejan, there are many who have played an incredible number of minutes. It’s not human, so of course… pic.twitter.com/ojhxyDeEOr

— Chris Cowlin (@ChrisCowlin) March 18, 2025

Currently away on international duty with Sweden, Bergvall was asked about Guardiola’s remarks and shared his perspective on receiving such recognition.

“Of course it’s fun, but in the big picture it doesn’t really matter,” he told SVT Sport. “I just try to play football and develop all the time and help the team. It’s always fun to get praise and you should take it in. But I try not to put too much emphasis on it.”

Despite Tottenham’s struggles this season, with the club sitting in 14th place in the Premier League, the emergence of Bergvall and fellow youngster Archie Gray has provided some optimism.

Postecoglou has had to navigate a season plagued by injuries, and Bergvall believes the circumstances have been particularly challenging for certain players.

“I don’t think it’s been a fair season to be honest. Not considering how much damage we have had. I don’t know what the reason is but as we have talked about with Dejan (Kulusevski), there are many who have played an incredible number of minutes. It’s not human, so of course it’s a big factor.”

On the international stage, Bergvall has made four senior appearances for Sweden but is yet to start a game.

That will change soon, however, as national team coach Jon Dahl Tomasson has confirmed that he will be in the starting lineup for Sweden’s friendly against Luxembourg.

“It’s fun but it’s not something I’ve thought about that much,” Bergvall said. “Jon and I have talked a little bit but nothing more specific, we’ll do it during the days here I think. I’ll just play like I did at Tottenham and be able to contribute as much as possible.”