Tottenham striker Emmanuel Adebayor reveals his own family called him 'rubbish' during Andre Villas-Boas reign

The Portuguese manager gave Villas-Boas just 45 minutes of action this season having isolated him from the first-team squad

Emmanuel Adebayor has scored four goals in five games since his return to the team (Reuters)

Emmanuel Adebayor has revealed just how bad life got for him at Tottenham under former manager Andre Villas-Boas, claiming that members of his own family labelled him “rubbish” due to his complete lack of appearances.

Adebayor found himself behind both summer signing Roberto Soldado and Toronto-bound Jermain Defoe, with Villas-Boas affording him just 45 minutes this season after he came off the bench during the 6-0 defeat to Manchester City.

With his White Hart Lane appearing to be winding down, Villas-Boas was controversially sacked in November after another emphatic defeat – this time at home to Liverpool with Spurs going down 5-0 – with his replacement Tim Sherwood choosing to recall the Togolese striker.

Adebayor repaid the faith shown in him by Sherwood by scoring three times in two appearances, and has become a constant figure in the Spurs side having gone on to net another brace last weekend in the win at Swansea.

But speaking to The Sun, Adebayor has explained what it was like in the first half of the season under Villas-Boas.

“I was right at the bottom of the hole”, said Adebayor. “Even people in my own country, people from my own family, criticised me. It can't get worse than that.

“They said, "You're rubbish and whatever you did before in your career was luck."

“But the new coach (Sherwood) trusted me. He gave me the keys to all the doors of the club and said, ‘Do what you want to do and make yourself at home’.”

Adebayor looks set to come up against his former side Manchester City next Wednesday, with Spurs sitting fifth, level on points with fourth-place Liverpool after their resurgence under Sherwood.