What Does the Future Hold for Erik Lamela at Tottenham Hotspur?

Not so long ago, Erik Lamela was derided as a waste of money by all but the most optimistic of observers. 

After Tottenham spent £25.7 million to acquire him from Roma, he endured a fitful first campaign in the latest stages of the collapsing Andre Villas-Boas regime before a back injury brought a merciful end.

Lamela is not the superstar his transfer fee convinced many he would be. Nor indeed has he consistently produced the sort of highlights he did at Roma. 

For the last 18 months, Lamela has produced consistently valuable performances from his usual position on the right flank. 

He has made 76 appearances, 50 of which have come in the Premier League. 

It is worth mentioning that despite being an experienced player, Lamela is still very much learning his game.  

At the same age, Gareth Bale was a more polished player but still 12 months away from the astonishing form that won him his move to Real Madrid. He was even still wearing the No. 3 three shirt, indicating how recently he had been considered a left-back. 

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Two years before that, Bale was reportedly close to a move to Championship side Nottingham Forest. 

Lamela similarly faced down rumours of an ignominious Tottenham exit at the same age. 

Comparisons with Bale have hurt Lamela before but the point is not to suggest he must reach the same remarkable heights, only to demonstrate that a 23-year-old is far from reaching his full potential. 

When he arrived from Serie A in the same transfer window that saw Bale's exit, it was an easy leap to nominate Lamela as the Welshman's successor.

It is an unfair comparison to make. Bale is the most expensive player on the planet. Lamela is not even in the top 10 most expensive players in Premier League history. 

In that first season, Lamela tried too hard to produce moments of brilliance but has willingly curtailed his creativity in order to submit to Mauricio Pochettino's heavily team-oriented philosophy. 

Last season, Lamela became a vital part of Spurs' pressing game and has continued that contribution in this campaign. 

His aggression without the ball has become a hallmark of his game. He occasionally takes it to extremes; he was suspended for the recent victory over West Ham after accruing five yellow cards after just 11 games, but it is a net positive for the team. 

Had the Hammers been less of a rabble, his absence would have been worrisome. 

In his first season, Lamela scored an excellent Europa League goal against Sheriff Tiraspol. His next appearance was in the 6-0 hammering by Man City. 

He is no longer the meek player who had no business starting that day at the Etihad. 

He was rightly selected ahead of Heung-Min Son to start the recent 1-1 draw against West Brom. He can be relied upon. 

Having persisted in England after a catastrophic first season, Lamela demonstrated mental toughness. His physical resilience also cannot be questioned, nor indeed can his skill. 

Looking into his future is, of course, problematic, but it is clear he is growing as a player. 

Manchester City headed the Premier League table when they arrived at White Hart Lane in late September. They left chastened, having been thrashed 4-1. Lamela was the best player on the pitch as Spurs dismantled the presumptive title favourites.

It was his finest display in a Tottenham shirt. Better than the left-footed curler against Burnley last season, better even than the Europa League rabona heard around the world. 

Crucially, it was not a momentary flash of brilliance but a consistent performance that demonstrated the quiet growth he has enjoyed under Pochettino. 

Consistency has been the key virtue eluding Lamela during his time in England. 

He began producing consistently solid performances last season, and that level has been raised in the early months of this campaign. 

His display as a substitute in the 2-2 draw against Stoke City was possibly the worst in his, or indeed anyone's, Premier League career. 

That aberration appears to have been nothing more than that; a one-off failure evidently the result of a desperation to leave his mark on the match.  

Eric Dier, Dele Alli, Harry Kane, Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld have all received far more effusive praise than Lamela this season. 

Without their headline moments, Lamela has matched the improvement of the team around him. 

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Pochettino's team is driving steadily toward a bright future in which Lamela has a key part to play. 

Champions League qualification is the minimum expectation after such a promising start to the season.

It is on that stage that legends are made. If Spurs are there next season, Lamela will be a key part of the team and will have his opportunity to really leave a mark on the club.  

After all, it is in that competition Bale had his first great headline moment.