Steven Pienaar Getting Back To Full Fitness Ahead of Season

Remember last season when we paid £2.5 million to get a player who was five months away from being available on a free transfer? You know, that guy that we are paying £60,000 a week? His name is Steven Pienaar, although I excuse you for forgetting about him after he spent most of his time with Tottenham sitting on the training table. 

Now that Luka Modric appears closer and closer to a move away from White Hart Lane, Niko Kranjcar and Wilson Palacios's transfer statuses are both in the air and Sandro is injured, Pienaar will have to play a major role for Spurs this season. Tom Huddlestone and (ugh) Jermaine Jenas are the only sure bets in the center of the midfield now, Danny Rose is the only back up option on the left and the only back up on the right side of the midfield is an out-of-position Rafael van der Vaart, although I guess David Bentley is coming back too (hold back the cheers).

Now I'm not the biggest of Pienaar fans. I thought he has always been overrated, but that only means that he might not be as good as some like to believe, not that he's not a good player. He is a good player and Spurs will need him to be good. Whether centrally, on the left or on the right, Pienaar will be vital to Spurs this season. He will have to play at least semi-regularly and that means he'll have to be healthy. In an interview with Sky Sports, Pienaar said he's getting there.

"I'm definitely looking forward. I had a lot of ups and downs in the first few months with injuries.  Hopefully I can put it behind me and go on and see what will happen this season. I'm still working on my fitness. I'm almost there."

Well, Steven, you have 30 days to get from "almost there" to "there." You'll be needed this season and while the transfer fee and wages might seem extravagant, getting Pienaar looks to have been a key move now. Just get healthy.