Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino is adamant new signing Serge Aurier can start afresh after previous discipline issues, insisting: 'I trust in him'

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Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino insists he trusts new signing Serge Aurier to behave himself after committing to a £23million deal to sign the Ivory Coast international from Paris-Saint Germain.

Aurier arrives with a poor reputation after he assaulted a French police officer outside a Paris nightclub and received a suspended two-month prison sentence. He was also given a £550 fine and paid £1,400 in damages.

Earlier in 2016, PSG suspended the defender and banned him from first-team training for a month after he was filmed making homophobic slurs towards his own manager Laurent Blanc and striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

 Serge Aurier has trust installed by new boss Mauricio Pochettino after £23million signing

During an online question-and-answer session, Aurier was asked if Blanc engages in oral sexual activity with Ibrahimovic, to which he replied: 'He takes everything'. In the same video, Aurier went on to describe his manager as 'une fiotte', which translates into English as a f****t (faggot) - a pejorative term for a homosexual.

Pochettino admits he held talks with his new signing before committing to the deal but insists Aurier deserves a chance to make a clean break.

'I am a person that likes to move on. I am the first to make mistakes in my life. It's important to have the opportunity to learn. We had a long chat. We talked about different things. He knows what we expect from him. It's important how every player behaves here. Our dynamic needs to be good.

The 24-year-old has had issues with discipline and was banned in 2016 by former club Paris Saint-Germain for homophobic slurs made towards Laurent Blanc and Zlatan Ibrahimovic

'I trust in him, I am confident he can help us. You judge someone from the day you meet them. We start from zero and I think it's exciting to have him here and it's a new chapter in his life to show all that he has inside.'

Meanwhile, Pochettino also insists that defender Toby Alderweireld is happy at the club despite his agent Stijn Francis claiming in the Belgian media that he deserves an improved contract

But Pochettino has offered the Ivory Coast defender a chance for a clean start at Tottenham

Pochettino said: 'He was talking with me in his office this morning. He wanted to make clear he is fully committed here. It's not an issue. He has two years plus one left on his contract. He is relaxed and calm. His idea is to play here and be happy.'

The Tottenham manager also revealed that Erik Lamela will return to first-team training at the beginning of next month. The Argentine has not played for Tottenham since the EFL Cup tie at Liverpool last October. Lamela underwent a double hip operation earlier this year as he sought to bring an end to his injury turmoil.

'With Erik, we are happy with his rehab and we expect early October for him to join the team to start training with us. We will decide when he can play. We translate to our fans Erik is in a good mood, happy and doing everything to be fit.'