England and Manchester United great Wayne Rooney has lavished praise on Ghanaian forward Mohammed Kudus, describing him as a “breath of fresh air” following his scintillating displays for Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League this season.
The 24-year-old joined Spurs from West Ham United in a £55 million summer transfer and has wasted no time making his mark in North London.
So far, Kudus has been directly involved in five goals—scoring once and providing four assists—while emerging as one of the league’s most exciting attackers.
His influence was once again on show in Tottenham’s weekend clash with Leeds United.
Kudus turned provider in the 23rd minute, slipping a perfectly timed through ball to French forward Mathys Tel, who rifled home a thunderous strike to give Spurs the lead.
After Leeds fought their way back into the contest, Kudus restored Tottenham’s advantage in the 57th minute with a composed finish into the bottom corner, capping a man-of-the-match performance.
Rooney, speaking on BBC’s Match of the Day, was quick to underline Kudus’ importance to Ange Postecoglou’s side.
“I think he’s been a breath of fresh air,” Rooney said. “When you look at the stats from today’s game against Leeds, he’s first in every category—duels won, successful dribbles, shots, touches in the opposition box, sprints. He’s had a real impact for Tottenham this season.
“He’s got four assists, which is joint-highest in the Premier League right now, and by far the most successful dribbles. All that was missing was the goal, and I think that strike today will push him to the next level.”
Kudus’ form has already made him a fan favourite among Spurs supporters, and with Rooney’s endorsement, the Ghanaian appears set to continue his rise as one of the standout performers in the Premier League this campaign.