Mathys Tel admitted it “definitely hurts” to have been left out of Tottenham’s Champions League squad ahead of the start of the league phase next week.

Tel joined Spurs in a permanent move from Bayern Munich in June, having spent the second half of the 2024-25 campaign on loan in north London.

Spurs have had well-documented issues when it comes to balancing homegrown players in Thomas Frank’s 22-man squad for Europe’s elite competition, with Tel one of the casualties of that.

Injured duo James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski were also left out, along with Yves Bissouma, who appears not to be in Frank’s plans, and Radu Dragusin.

Despite his disappointment, Tel, who is yet to start a match for Spurs this season, is determined to prove himself.

“Quite simply, with respect. He called me, he simply told me his choice, and then you could see the list appear on the networks,” he told reporters while on international duty with France’s Under-21s.

“It’s clear that when you’re not on a list, it definitely hurts, but I’m someone who stays pretty positive, no matter the situation, because I think I’ve worked a lot on the mental aspect, so today it’s definitely a disappointment.

“I would have liked to be there. But the coach’s choice is the coach’s choice; we can only respect it, and we’re going to work to come back in the best possible way.

“No matter, even if I was on the list, I would have had this desire, to be revengeful, to be able to be effective this season, to be able to start my season in the Premier League, because now, it’s a first long season that begins because last year it was in the form of a six-month loan.”

Tel scored three goals and got one assist in 20 appearances during his loan spell with Spurs, and helped them on their way to Europa League glory, though he did not feature in the final.

The signing of Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig late in the transfer window has now led to speculation that Tel’s future at Spurs could be in doubt.

But the 20-year-old expects to stay with Spurs and fight for his place in Frank’s squad.

“I am under contract with Tottenham [until 2031], so I am a Tottenham player, and I will do my best to be able to play quite simply,” he added.

“Knowing what I’m capable of, knowing all the abilities I have, I think I could have done better. In any case, we can all do better, but I would say that it’s an encouraging setup.

“I learned that no matter the situation, no matter why you’re called to a club, you have to be patient because there are times when it happens, times when it doesn’t. That’s life. Sometimes there are things we deserve that we don’t receive.

“But in life, do we get everything we deserve? Not often. I’ve grown in maturity, in experience, and I think that today it has shaped my personality and, I would say, my character especially.”

Spurs begin their Champions League campaign against Villarreal at home on September 16.