Clive Allen delivers verdict on Tottenham representation in England team

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Having five players in the England squad meant Tottenham Hotspur were there to be lauded or shot at in equal measure.

Mauricio Pochettino has turned Tottenham into one of the strongest and slickest teams in Europe.

He has achieved the feat without spending gratuitous amounts of money on players, preferring instead to nurture homegrown talent and find rough diamonds he can sculpt into stars for club and country.

But while Tottenham have won admirers across Europe for their style and the players and manager they possess it has failed to materialise into silverware so far.

The club has five players in Gareth Southgate’s England squad at the Russia World Cup with star man Harry Kane on course to win the golden boot.

But Tottenham were 23 points behind champions Manchester City and failed to win the League Cup or FA Cup and many fans and pundits highlight their continued trophy draught as a major problem for the club and its players.

Despite England going out of the World Cup at the semi-final stage to Croatia with their heads held high, many have been critical of some of the Spurs contingent.

Harry Kane wasn’t at his usual brilliant best against Croatia while Dele Alli was a shadow of the player he can be all tournament.

Eric Dier also emerged as something of a whipping boy for fans who feel he is too slow, cumbersome and negative to be an international player and took the place of more talented rivals Jack Wilshere and Jonjo Shelvey.

But Spurs legend Clive Allen told Sky Sports the players did themselves and the club proud and says the experience will only benefit Tottenham.

“The representation of Spurs is immense,” Allen told Sky Sports.

“I think it just shows how far the club have come certainly in the last five years.

“It’s been quite incredible the squad that’s been assembled, the success they’ve had not only domestically but obviously Champions League experience which has been invaluable and they carried that through to the World Cup.”