Erik Lamela has admitted he needs more time to adapt to life at Tottenham but says he is certain the club’s decision to make him their record signing will be vindicated.

Lamela has yet to start a Premier League game following his £30million move from Roma in August and although he produced a brighter performance last night as Spurs edged past Hull to reach the last eight of the Capital One Cup, the Argentine missed his team’s only penalty in their 8-7 shoot-out win.

The tests for Lamela are not confined only to the pitch. Head coach Andre Villas-Boas said the attacker is still coming to grips with the English language, while the player himself admits that football in this country is very different from what he knew in Serie A. Meanwhile in Lamela’s absence, Roma have won all nine of their league games and are top of the table.

“I think I need a bit of time,” the 21-year-old told Standard Sport. “I feel good here, although getting used to life here in every sense is a completely different thing. I’ve barely been here two months, so time is maybe what I need.

“I need training, a bit of rhythm, some games. English football is very different from the game in Italy — much more physical, whereas Serie A is more tactical. It’s not necessarily more difficult, but it’s just different. This is a style of football I like very much, though, and I think, with the way I play, it will be very suited to my game.”

The key to the deal to bring Lamela to White Hart Lane was technical director Franco Baldini, who also signed the player for Roma from River Plate two years ago.

After scoring 15 goals in Serie A last season, he became one of his club’s most coveted players and with Roma needing to sell at least one star, the offer from Spurs was impossible to resist. There were signs of Lamela’s talent against Hull, notably in a couple of bursts forwards from just inside the visitors’ half, and in a free-kick that was very well saved by goalkeeper Eldin Jakupovic.

Spurs hope that as he begins to feel more settled, so Lamela’s form will improve. Some of his family arrived in London this week, while Spanish speaking team-mate Roberto Soldado makes communication a little easier.

Even though some Tottenham fans may be concerned, Lamela himself is not. “My moment will come and I will make the difference,” he said. “You always train thinking that you’re going to play. Sooner or later, my moment will arrive and I have to be ready. That is the way I am looking at it.

“I get on very well with Andre Villas-Boas. He is a great guy who clearly thinks about the future. Because of this, coming to Tottenham is a great step for me and in the future, we’ll see why.

“Of course, it’s also important for me to get into the Argentina squad for the World Cup, but I’m confident I’ll play here. We are involved in four competitions so there are many games ahead.”

For the second time in four days, Tottenham were given a particularly tough game by Hull. Spurs won 1-0 in the league on Sunday and took the lead last night thanks to Gylfi Sigurdsson’s marvellous first-half strike from 25 yards.

But Brad Friedel’s own-goal brought Hull level and Paul McShane gave them the lead in extra-time. Spurs substitute Harry Kane crowned an impressive contribution with the equaliser and when the penalties began, Spurs kept their nerve.

Friedel saved from Ahmed Elmohamady to seal Spurs’ first shoot-out triumph since 1994 and book a home tie against West Ham in the quarter-finals.