New Spurs winger Manor Solomon looking forward to new chapter of an eventful career
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Tottenham Hotspur's new signing Manor Solomon training at the National Stadium on July 25, 2023.
ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM
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SINGAPORE – For a flying winger who has scored crucial goals in the Champions League against Manchester City and Real Madrid, Tottenham Hotspur’s Manor Solomon looks like someone with the world at his feet.
Having turned 24 on Monday, the Israeli with 35 caps and seven goals hopes to pen a new chapter for his new club with his winning mentality as he is set to play his second friendly for them against Lion City Sailors at the National Stadium.
At a meet-and-greet session organised by HSBC at Marina Bay Sands on Tuesday, he told The Straits Times: “I hope to achieve many more honours in my time with Spurs, which will be the main period of my career, and the peak of my career is coming.
“When you come to a big club like Spurs, you want to achieve a lot in the league, qualify for European competitions, and win titles. This is a massive club that can win titles... I will also give my best to improve the team as much as I can.”
While Solomon was affable and at ease as he marvelled at how small but beautiful Singapore is, promising to return for a holiday with his girlfriend Dana Voshina, he realised “nothing was in my hands” for a few days in February 2022 while he was still a Shakhtar Donetsk player.
(From left) Tottenham Hotspur players Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Ivan Perisic, Japhet Tanganga, Manor Solomon and Harvey White at the HSBC Meet-and-Greet at Sands Expo and Convention Centre, on July 25, 2023.
ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO
This was when he and his teammates were in Kyiv, and were awakened by explosions on the morning of Feb 24, as the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine began.
After seeking help from Israeli representatives from the consulate, he began his escape from the warzone, which he described to The Jerusalem Post as fraught with “balagan”, a Hebrew word for chaos.
On that night, he was picked up by a local driver, and as they got closer to the border nearly 15 hours later, the uncertainty and fear set in as they saw the masses of people who were also looking for a way out.
For the fleet-footed attacker, things came to a literal standstill, and these were obstacles he could not race past.
Solomon told The Jerusalem Post then: “There was so much anger and tens of thousands of people there, from women and men, families with babies crying standing in the freezing cold with suitcases and great uncertainty.
“When I saw that the lines weren’t moving and that I was stuck going nowhere fast, I realised that nothing at this point was in my hands. I would just have to wait for an Israeli rescue vehicle that would hopefully be able to rescue me.”
After a 10-hour wait, he managed to get into a car with another Israeli family and crossed into Poland. Solomon finally reunited with his family in Israel 60 hours after he first set off from Kyiv.
Solomon, who has kept his former teammates and the Ukrainian people in his thoughts, has soared again since leaving the country.
He went on loan to Fulham last season and, after recovering from a knee injury, scored five goals in 24 games, impressing with his dribbling, ball control and finishing with both feet.
These qualities convinced Spurs to sign him on a free transfer until 2028.
Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou said he is sure that Solomon will be a “big contributor” in the new season.
The Australian told ST: “He is already fitting into the squad. He is another one in that group that is really exciting. He has definitely won over his teammates with what he’s doing in training and the way he is applying himself.”
