“Desire for revenge” – Tottenham player earning ‘Venom’ nickname and turning a corner

Guglielmo Vicario’s time at Tottenham didn’t end as he would have liked. The Italian has now brought his career back on track rather quickly.

There was a real clamour for the goalkeeper in the summer. Inter Milan were in the race, even agreeing personal terms. Napoli also wanted to sign him but once Juventus missed out on Alisson, Vicario was roped in on an initial loan deal.

Despite struggling at Tottenham for about two seasons, the 29-year-old is now a regular at Juve. He is making an impact for Luciano Spalletti and is the undisputed starter for the Bianconeri.

Player earning nickname

Former Juve keeper Michelangelo Rampulla spoke to TuttoJuve about the Old Lady’s goalkeeping concerns, with Neto signed as a replacement for the injured Kamil Garbara.

He was also asked about Vicario and Rampulla revealed he expected him to do well.

“Yes, he’s one of the three goalkeepers on the national team. I expected it; I certainly didn’t need further confirmation from an experienced goalkeeper like him.”

The interview also touched on how he is being nicknamed ‘Venom’ for his acrobatic saves. One of them was seen against Parma earlier in the campaign.

Rampulla further clarified he is certain Vicario will have a good spell in Turin.

“I was calm. Vicario was perhaps the first name on the list of those discussed last summer. For me, he arrived with the right desire for revenge, and Juve is an extraordinary platform where he can showcase himself. He’s doing his job, which is to be a reliable goalkeeper.”

The 64-year-old also noted that Vicario is now the second-best Italian keeper.

“Definitely, because Juventus were looking for a top-notch goalkeeper. Donnarumma, Carnesecchi, Meret, and Caprile are the strongest Italians, and Vicario is the second best, along with the Atalanta goalkeeper. Gigio would be the best, but he’s unlikely to be released.”

Player made the right move

If Vicario had joined Inter, he may not have been a guaranteed first-choice. The same applies for Napoli, who have both Alex Meret and Vanja Milinkovic-Savic. Juve was the only club which was desperate for a first-choice, with Michele Di Gregorio having joined Bournemouth.

The decision is now clearly paying off. Besides, Vicario is a childhood Juve fan and he has made a dream move to Turin.

At Tottenham, it became evident after a point that he wasn’t going to turn things around. Roberto De Zerbi showed more faith in Antonin Kinsky, despite knowing Vicario well.