Tottenham defender Pedro Porro has reacted to Tim Sherwood doubling down on earlier criticism of his performances.

Former Spurs manager Sherwood has long been a critic of what he believes is Porro’s failings as a defender. Following Porro’s debut last February, Sherwood said the defender was “so bad it’s unbelievable.”

He said on Sky Sports: “I don’t want to keep picking on the kid but he needs to be relieved of his duties at the moment. I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt because it’s his debut but Pedro Porro is so bad it’s unbelievable.

“His positioning is disgusting, Barnes and Maddison are destroying him down the left hand side. He’s just ran inside him, he hasn’t even seen him, he gets the ball played in and lets him run inside him.”

Porro responded in The Guardian soon after. He said: “You read what’s said about a player who has been at the club two days – two days – and that hits you because you think: ‘I’ve just got here’ … I really hope he keeps saying bad things about me that will make me stronger.”

He added: “I don’t know him. I don’t know what had happened for him to speak. People passed it on, saying he had spoken badly about me. But he won’t be the first who then had to shut his mouth.”

Sherwood did not shut his mouth, next opening it in October singing a different tune after seeing Porro impress in the opening weeks of the season under Ange Postecoglou.

He told Sky Sports: “Dare I say it, but Pedro Porro has done well. Do you know why I wasn’t his number one fan was because he was asked to play in a position as a right-back and just stay there and defend. It’s not what he is good at.

“He is good at going on the offensive. He gets forward. Gets there at the right time. Aggressive. Wins the ball back.”