Tottenham Hotspur appear to have unearthed a hidden gem in Lucas Bergvall, and fans can’t understand why he isn’t getting a chance at international level.
The 19-year-old won Spurs’ Player of The Year award last term, becoming the first teenager since Glenn Hoddle to be awarded the accolade. His start to the new campaign has been equally as impressive, picking up Player of The Match twice in one week, first in the 3-0 victory over West Ham and then against Villarreal.
Bergvall has already bagged two goals and one assist in all competitions this season, with his latest goal coming in his Champions League debut on Tuesday night in a 1-0 win against Villarreal.
But as Spurs fans celebrated Bergvall’s performance, some couldn’t help but question why he was left out of Sweden’s teams during the international break.
Sweden manager Jon Dahl Tomasson left Lucas Bergvall out of Slovenia and Kosovo World Cup Qualifiers
Sweden played against Slovenia and Kosovo in their World Cup Qualifiers during the international break. Former Blackburn Rovers manager Jon Dahl Tomasson’s side drew 2-2 with Slovenia, before losing 2-0 to Kosovo, leaving the Swedes third in Group B.
After making his debut in January 2024, Bergvall has played just four times for his country – and he was on the bench for both ties, much to the confusion of Sweden and Tottenham fans.
One wrote on X: “Jon Dahl Tomasson only made two changes in the 2-2 draw against Slovenia. Even when the team looked tired in the second half. He left both Alexander Isak and Lucas Bergvall on the bench.”
“As a Dane I obviously enjoy the Swedish national team not performing well, but the decision to not give Bergvall a single minute against Serbia and Kosovo is a sackable offence,” a Danish Spurs fan said.
After Bergvall’s Champions League Player of The Match performance, fans felt even more baffled by Tomasson’s choice to keep him out of his plans.
One said: “I’m trying to find a logical reason why Jon Dahl Tomasson didn’t let Lucas Bergvall play against either Slovenia or Kosovo. Maybe he doesn’t think Bergvall is disciplined enough to play in his two man central midfield setup? Especially in the way he tells them to play which is with no freedom and static.”
While Tomasson appears to be overlooking Bergvall, a former England captain had plenty of praise for him on Tuesday night.
Wayne Rooney heaps praise on ‘fantastic’ Lucas Bergvall
Speaking about the midfielder as a pundit on Amazon Prime Video Sport, former Manchester United ace Wayne Rooney said: “Sometimes you forget how young he is because he played a lot of games last season, and the maturity with which he plays is fantastic.
“So he shows different sides to his game this season, last season he played a bit deeper, and to play as a number ten is not easy, it’s not easy to get on the ball and be in the right positions.
“But I thought today he showed the different side to his game, which will only improve him in the future.”
Should Bergvall continue on his current trajectory he may become hard for Tomasson to ignore next month.
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