Tottenham Hotspur

Benoit Assou-Ekotto backs Brad Friedel over Hugo Lloris

By Robert Summerscales, Reporter | 12 September 2012

Tottenham Hotspur defender Benoit Assou-Ekotto says that he expects Brad Friedel to retain his place as the club's first-choice goalkeeper despite the recent arrival of France number one Hugo Lloris.

Tottenham Hotspur defender Benoit Assou-Ekotto has backed Brad Friedel to retain his place as the club's first-choice goalkeeper despite the recent £8m addition of Hugo Lloris.

Friedel, 41, has made a record 306 consecutive Premier League appearances - dating back to his spells at Aston Villa and Blackburn Rovers - and Assou-Ekotto expects the American's remarkable run to continue.

"It won't be easy [for Lloris] because there is competition," Assou-Ekotto told French radio station RMC. "Number one keeper in the French team or not, he will have to fight to get the position in the team.

"We currently have a keeper that doesn't make any mistakes, who is very well-known in Great Britain.

"To start I believe Lloris will be number two. If our keeper doesn't make any mistakes there is no reason to change."

Lloris, who moved to White Hart Lane from Lyon last month, has been capped 40 times by France at senior international level.