Facundo Pellistri reveals his Mexican master plan

While the surroundings may have seemed perfect in Mexico, Pellistri did have to tailor his sessions due to the heat.

“Very hot!” was his description. “I had to train quite late because the first day, I tried to train as normal, more or less, three o’clock but it was impossible because of the sun. So I started to train later, like nine o’clock in the night.”

With so much work under his belt, he says he can do the other side of the game when operating on the flanks, appreciating the defensive resilience and responsibility that is clearly an important part of Ten Hag’s gameplan.

“It’s very important nowadays,” he insisted. “Nowadays, the wingers, they do not have only to attack but they also have to defend.

“So, before, you’d think, okay, I’m a winger. I just attack but, nowadays, you have to defend the same way that you attack. So that’s why I had to train in Mexico because the players need to do all those things in the modern football. So, yes, that’s also why we have to defend.”