Tottenham midfielder Lewis Holtby eager to make amends for 'bad end' to season
The German endured a frustrating time with both club and country
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Your support makes all the difference.Tottenham's Lewis Holtby is looking forward to next season after enduring a “bad end” to the campaign with both club and country.
Having arrived from Schalke in January, the 22-year-old was part of the Spurs side pipped to a Champions League berth by north London rivals Arsenal three weeks ago.
If that was not bad enough, Germany Under-21s, a side Holtby captains, on Sunday night saw their European Championship exit confirmed with defeat to Spain.
While understandably disappointed by the way things have panned out, the midfielder remained remarkably philosophical and upbeat.
"It's been a bad end to the season, but what can I do? I can't change it now," Holtby said.
"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 and I plan to give it my all.
"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 will not be the only one returning to Spurs after a bruising summer in Israel, with England duo Steven Caulker and Adam Smith also bowing out with a game to spare.
Like the Young Lions, Germany have struggled without a number of key eligible players, such Mario Gotze, Marco Reus and Julian Draxler - not that Holtby is using that as an excuse.
"When you get the best squad you can you will always be delighted as a manager, but for me as the captain and out of respect to my team-mates, I will say they deserved to be here," he said.
"We fought right until the last minute, we had character in the team.
"We were unlucky against Holland and we went close against what I think is the best team of all in Spain. We tried to get a win, but it was too difficult.
"Of course we were without quality players coming here, but the players we had here deserved their places in the squad because they had worked very hard to get here.
"In qualifying we were unbeaten in the group stages and the play-offs. We not going to cry about the players who couldn't be here. We're very happy with the players we had here."
PA
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