by Few have benefited as much from the revolution of Ange Postecoglou, Tottenham and Pedro Porro.
But the Spaniard’s success on the pitch this season has come against a backdrop of personal strife, he revealed to Telegraph Sport for the first time.
The 24-year-old’s childhood best friend, Mohammed Khairat Tamahaj, died at the beginning of last month after it spread from his kidney to his brain.
The two first met when they were five years old and were inseparable, walking to school together every day and playing together afterwards.
“We met in Don Benito, a town in Badajoz, my hometown, where he and his family moved from Morocco in search of a better future,” said Porro.
“The best friendships are those born out of spontaneity, and that was our case. We lived nearby, and one day he knocked on my door. He introduced himself, we went to school together and from then on and during those years we were inseparable. We played together all the time: in the school yard and on the street.
“Then time separated us. I started to dedicate myself professionally to football and I had to go to Madrid, Girona, Valladolid, Lisbon and now London.”
Mohammed’s family could not afford the cost of repatriation from Spain back to Morocco so Porro stepped in to cover those fees.
“After a while I found out he was sick. They were kidneys that spread to his head and unfortunately everything happened very quickly,” says Porro.
“I didn’t have time to say goodbye to him. I found out, however, that his family, who had returned to Morocco, could not afford the repatriation costs and I offered to help them with whatever was needed. Now I know he rests in peace with his family.”
Porro’s personal struggles away from the pitch do not seem to have affected his performances.
Less than a year on from the day he moved from Sporting in January, the outlook for Porro’s future looks very different than it did at the end of last season. When he arrived in north London, the right-back was part of a defense in disarray and Porro was quickly labeled another transfer unhappiness.
Under Postecoglou, however, Porro’s attacking prowess has been harnessed and the defensive side of his game – which he admits was once a weakness – has improved greatly.
“This tactical system is new in my career because I’ve never played inside,” explains Porro. “I feel very comfortable in this role although it took some getting used to in pre-season at first. Ange tried to give me advice, to see how I had to position myself to get the ball better on the inside.
“It may look easy but it’s not easy to find the spaces. And that also requires a high level of concentration because you can’t defend forgetting.
“In the last two years of my career I have improved especially in that defensive order. Before that maybe I was mainly an attacking player, but now I have to do more things. And honestly I’m enjoying his defense. Attacking is always more fun, but this other ability gave me confidence.”
Porro is determined to continue Spurs’ – and his – improvement after their rocky start.
“I remember the first few weeks I was struggling with everything. On my first visit I said to myself: ‘These people are on a motorbike. I wake up or they’re going to eat me’,” says Porro.
“I had to do more gym work. Before that, I didn’t do anything in the afternoon, just preventive work, but when I got to England I had to do double sessions because the pace and intensity of the Premier League is diabolical.”
Postecoglou’s methods have also made a difference.
“There are sessions where the emphasis is on the defensive part, others on the offensive, but the common denominator is the ball. We always train with the ball,” explains Porro. “Healthy competition between colleagues, challenges between each other and a good feeling are important to make things work. It wasn’t like that before.”
‘Kane’s exit was painful for everyone’
It could be argued that the way Tottenham played despite the loss of Harry Kane was one of the surprises of the season. Porro would like more playing time with the England captain, however.
“Kane’s departure was painful for everyone because he was the heart and soul of the club. I want to enjoy Kane more because we didn’t spend much time together.
“He is a special striker, who is used to scoring goals everywhere. It was not difficult for him to adapt to Bayern. It is undoubtedly one of the best in the world. However, I think we at Tottenham quickly overcame that absence.
“Perhaps there are more authoritative voices now. Mac, for example, took the stick. Since Kane left, he has stepped up, he has taken responsibility and you feel that inside and outside the dressing room. People tend to underestimate him, maybe because he’s always been in the background, but he’s an outfielder.”
Tottenham’s momentum was halted by defeat at Chelsea, in an epic encounter, Wolves and Aston Villa.
But Porro says the title is his aim, even if Spurs are not the favourites.
“We still have a long season ahead of us, but in the dressing room nobody will want to take the league away from winning the league,” says Porro. “The work we have done so far shows the path we have to follow.”
