New Delhi, Aug 28 : Tottenham Hotspur's new signing Sandro Tonali has heaped praise on the fans at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, calling them "one of the best things" ahead of his debut at the venue.

Spurs host Newcastle in the second week of the ongoing English Premier League against his former side. The Italian midfielder was part of Spurs' defeat at Brentford in the opener but is now gearing up for his first home game and looks forward to his debut outing. "I play as a number six, and I play a lot with the defence. I can't wait to play at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium because I played here a few times against Tottenham with Newcastle," Tonali told JioStar.

"I found a great atmosphere. Every time I've been here, the stadium has been full. That's not easy because the stadium is so big. The fans can change the game in two minutes. If the fans are with you, it makes things much easier. I think the fans are one of the best things about this stadium. I know this stadium is one of the best in the world.

"The fans are crazy, and we need that because we have to give 100 per cent energy and concentration in every game. We want to win every single game, especially at home. And we know we can," he added.

Tonali also shares a close bond with Spurs manager Roberto De Zerbi. He called De Zerbi an incredible manager and spoke about the time spent with him. "When I spoke with him for the first time, we talked like friends, but also like a player and manager already. That conversation was special.

"It made me feel like I had to sign for him. We discussed a lot about Newcastle, the Spurs stadium, the Spurs fans, the players, and our style of football. We are really looking forward to the season ahead. If I had to describe myself in one sentence, I would say I work hard for my teammates," he said.

Tonali was roped in by Spurs for a club record of worth up to £100m ($133m). "Every time you change clubs, you have to start over. You have to build new relationships with teammates, staff, and fans. I'm lucky because I already know the staff here, which makes things easier, especially at the start of the season.

"Roberto De Zerbi is an incredible manager. I've known him for a long time. He's from Brescia, and I played there for 10 years. Sometimes, when we have a day off, we both go back to our city and meet. That's something special," Tonali said.

/IANS