Roma's Mats Hummels hails 'incredible' Tottenham trio, £34m man is one of his 'favourite' players

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Roma’s veteran defender Mats Hummels needs no introduction into to the attacking talents at Ange Postecoglou’s disposal ahead of Thursday’s Europa League clash in North London.

The former Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich and Germany defender knows from experience just how fearsome an opponent Heung-Min Son can be.

The Tottenham captain has gone head to head with Mats Hummels on six occasions since the 2010/11 season. Son found the net no fewer than five times in those six games, too.

He scored a famous goal as South Korean knocked Germany out of the 2018 World Cup, while his brace helped Hamburg cruise to a famous 4-1 win away at Jurgen Klopp’s Dortmund a decade ago.

So while both Hummels and Son may no longer be at the peak of their powers these days – the former 35 and the latter now 32 – Roma’s summer signing is certainly not taking the threat of Spurs’ long-serving number seven lightly.

Speaking during his pre-match press conference, Hummels also highlighted the talents of his former Germany teammate Timo Werner.

While frequently maligned, Werner has a goal and an assist in his last three Tottenham games. What’s more, both of those came against Manchester City, Werner putting the icing on the cake as a James Maddison-inspired Tottenham hammered Pep Guardiola’s team at the Etihad as he assisted Brennan Johnson’s stoppage time tap-in.

Roma ace highlights Tottenham duo Heung-Min Son and Timo Werner

The manner in which Werner showed the once jet-heeled Kyle Walker a clean pair of heels, meanwhile, will have had Hummels sweating.

Assuming both players start at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Roma cannot afford to leave their ageing centre-back exposed against Werner’s searing pace.

Hummels, even during his prime, was never really the quickest. The same cannot be said of Micky van de Ven. The speed-freak Spurs stopper is the fastest Premier League player since records began, after all.

Tottenham will be without Van de Ven against Roma, however. The Dutchman is likely to remain out of action until mid-December with a hamstring injury, denying Hummels the chance to share a pitch with a footballer he greatly admires.

"Tottenham’s evolution is really impressive. I really like to watch their games,” Hummels says. “They play a high pressing [style], with a lot of pace and purpose on the pitch.

“They have some incredible individuals and one of my favourite young defenders in the world, although I think he’s injured at the moment. He can run 40 km/h! Incredible.

“They have a spectacular team,” adds the 2014 World Cup winner. "I know Timo very well. I think he’s going through a bit of a tough spell right now but, with his quality, it’s just a matter of time before he picks up again.

“Maybe not tomorrow but, after Friday, he has my blessing!

"[And] Son is an incredible player. I’ve had to suffer a lot against him. When he played for Hamburg and Leverkusen, he had a habit of scoring against Dortmund and winning games against us. He did the same against Germany in the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

“He’s quick, intelligent, can shoot with both feet. He’s really dangerous in the box and also outside the box. An all-round great player."

Mats Hummels expects Spurs to hit Roma hard

With three wins and one defeat, Tottenham are currently seventh in the new-look Europa League table.

Another three points against a Roma side who recently hired 73-year-old Claudio Ranieri as their third head coach of 2024/25 already will put Postecoglou’s side in a very strong spot as they look to secure knockout-stage football.

Roma, meanwhile, have just one Europa League triumph to their name this term.

“I expect them to put us under pressure and try to get the fans involved and show that this is their ground,” Hummels adds. “We have to make sure we’re not put off by that, play our game, try to quell their strengths and look for their weaknesses, which every team has.

“It will be a difficult game. They’re really good quality, one of my favourite teams in the world right now."

Postecoglou confirmed at his own press conference that both Werner and Destiny Udogie will be available despite seemingly picking up knocks. The long-term absence of Guglielmo Vicario, meanwhile, ensures that this should be the beginning of a long run in the starting XI for Fraser Forster.