A number of Tottenham Hotspur players have been linked with a move away from the club in this summer’s transfer window, and few more than Danny Rose. The outspoken Tottenham left back has been the subject of speculation about his Spurs future ever since he gave that spectacular interview with the Sun nearly a year ago.

That, combined with an injury-blighted season that saw him lose his place to Ben Davies, has led to rampant rumors about his departure, and persistent links to Manchester United, and now Everton.

But if Danny Rose is destined to be sold this summer, someone should probably tell that to Danny Rose. In a candid interview, Rose talked about his difficult season at Spurs, the perception that he is now injury prone, and about his future at Tottenham Hotspur.

“I got injured last season, I tried everything for three months to avoid an operation. I had about 50 tablets and 20 injections, it didn’t work and I needed an operation. I came back in October; I was fit until December; I was injured in a tackle; I was out for a month and then I had a muscle injury in March – my first muscle injury in two years – so I have had two injuries this season and people seem to think I have had a lot of injuries. ”It’s a load of nonsense. I have had to bide my time getting some minutes. It is a season where I have had to be patient and be mentally positive. Even though I haven’t played as much as I’d like I feel like I’ve grown mentally so there are positives to take out of the season. “I wish I could have played more, but you have two players to compete in each position and that is how I would want it at any football club.”

Rose certainly has seemed to show the effects from the multiple injuries suffered last season and this. In his limited minutes on the pitch for Spurs this year — 1300 minutes in all competitions, only 802 in the Premier League — Rose has often looked less than sharp, missing the burst of pace and trickery that made him an England international last year and at one point a lock-down starter for England.

Rose is still on the plane to the World Cup in Russia, according to all reports, but is probably no longer is a guaranteed first choice for the Three Lions in this summer’s tournament. And while the rumor mill seems intent on shipping him out of north London, Rose is speaking only in terms of regaining his place as Mauricio Pochettino’s starting left back next season.

“I fancy myself against anybody in the league. Pre-season I’ll come back and hopefully me and Ben start from scratch and we start again and work hard to nail that number one spot.”

Rose appears proud of what Spurs have accomplished this season, and seems fully intent on looking forward to what the club can achieve next season. When asked whether or not Spurs have “overachieved” this season, he answered thoughtfully, with an eye towards the future.