Tottenham coach Andre Villas-Boas says he has spoken to Kyle Walker after the England defender was pictured inhaling the legal but potentially lethal nitrous oxide.
Villas-Boas told reporters in a press conference today: “I spoke with him before the story came out, because the incident was a long time ago.
“The timing of the release of this news is something that surprises me. But you wouldn’t expect him to do it again.
“He has assured me of what he has said publicly and what he told me before. He told me he was in the state of mind [to play] for England so I do not see any problems.”
Tottenham have been tipped to challenge for the Premier League title this season but Villas-Boas says that is an unrealistic target.
“Our objective is the same, Champions League qualification,” he added. “It has never crossed our minds to do anything different taking into account the changes we have made.
“Our level of expense in the transfer market raises expectations but they have to be real expectations.
“We simply do not have the experience of a team that have been playing for the Premier League title, we have never done it.”
