Football
Ian Holyman, France correspondent 7y

Tottenham's Hugo Lloris could play for 'any of Europe's top 5 clubs' - Barthez

France's World Cup-winning goalkeeper Fabien Barthez believes Tottenham Hotspur's Hugo Lloris has the talent to play for "any of Europe's top five clubs."

Lloris, 30, has developed into one of the world's leading goalkeepers since joining Tottenham from Lyon in 2012, playing his part in Spurs' Premier League challenge this season by helping them into second place.

Former Manchester United man Barthez told L'Equipe that the France captain has what it takes to make the step up to a club at the top of the game. 

When asked what is stopping Lloris playing for a big club, Barthez said: "Nothing. He could play in any of Europe's top five clubs.

"What has held him back, there are so many people around these transfers. But the little difficult period he had when he arrived in England made him stronger. He did what he had to do -- he shut his mouth and he worked."

Lloris will equal Barthez's 87 caps for France when he leads Les Bleus out for their friendly against Spain at the Stade de France on Tuesday.

"That means he is as good as me and if he has more, he'll have been the best in terms of longevity," Barthez, who also won Euro 2000 with France, said. "Joel Bats got 50 caps, me 87, and I hope he'll finish with 120-odd.

"What I like is that all three of us are lefties, we have the same philosophy of goalkeeping with sobriety, work, goalkeepers who come out a lot. We have the same way of seeing the sport. I like him as a person and it's for all that I'm happy that it's a guy like Hugo who overtakes me."

Barthez, not known for his public pronouncements, said he also appreciates Lloris' professional demeanour in front of the cameras.

The ex-Monaco and Nantes goalkeeper believes his former international teammate, current France boss Didier Deschamps, has the right man wearing the armband to advise the young players in the squad.

"He doesn't speak to say nothing and has understood the main thing happens out on the pitch, not the press," he said. "That's his strength. The youngsters who are coming in, the [Kylian] Mbappes, they have to listen to him, look at how he carries himself.

"He's good. No-one else even comes close. Hugo's 30 years old. I hope he'll still be there [in the France team] for another six years. He's in full bloom. He's at the top of his career, he has to enjoy it."

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