It’s “fun” to be praised by Pep Guardiola

Lucas Bergvall says that receiving praise from Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is a pleasant experience.

The young midfielder of Tottenham gained admiration from the Spanish coach after his impressive exhibition against the city in late February, despite the fact that Spurs fell at a 1-0 defeat at home.

While Tottenham supported a frustrating evening, Bergvall’s performance in the midfield stood out as a prominent element for Ange Postecoglou.

Its impact on the game caught the attention of Guardiola, who spoke a lot of the Swedish international in his press conference after the party.

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

“Spence, Pedro Porro, Udogie, Kulusevski, son. He is an incredible physical team with a clear idea to play, and they play very well.”

Lucas Bergvall: “I don’t think it was a fair season to be honest. Don’t consider the damage we had. I don’t know what reason is, but as we 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, out of the international duty with Sweden, Bergvall was asked about Guardiola’s statements and shared his perspective on receiving this recognition.

“Of course, it’s fun, but in the big picture it doesn’t 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 do it. But I try not to put too much emphasis.”

Despite the struggles of Tottenham this season, with the club sitting in the 14th place at the Premier League, the appearance of Bergvall and his young Archie Gray has provided some optimism.

Postecoglou had to navigate for a season plagued by injuries and Bergvall believes that circumstances have been especially difficult for certain players.

“I don’t think it was a fair season to be honest. Without taking into account the damage we had. I don’t know what reason is, but as we talked to Dejan (Kulusevski), there are many who have played an incredible number of minutes. It’s not human, so of course it is a great factor.”

On the international stage, Bergvall has made four appearances in Sweden, but he still has to start a game.

This will change soon, as national team coach Jon Dahl Tomasson has confirmed that he will be on the Sweden friendly line against Luxembourg.

“It’s fun, but it’s not something I’ve thought so much,” Bergvall said. “Jon and I have talked a little, but nothing more specific, we will do it during the days I think. I will only play as I did in Tottenham and I will be able to contribute as much as possible.”