Tottenham Hotspur cult hero Rafael van der Vaart has waxed lyrical about fellow Spurs icon Mauricio Pochettino.
The North Londoners are currently on the lookout for a new manager after parting company with Antonio Conte.
Plenty of coaches have been linked with the Tottenham reins, including their former manager.
Pochettino was a fan favourite at N17 between 2014 and 2019, turning Spurs into title challengers.
Tottenham even reached the Champions League final in his final full season at the club.
Now, Spurs find themselves in pursuit of a new permanent appointment in the dugout.
Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo and Antonio Conte all struggled to succeed at Tottenham.
With Pochettino currently out of work, it’s not surprising that speculation linking him and Spurs is doing the rounds.
Van der Vaart spoke to BBC Radio 5 Live on Tuesday and was asked what he’d think of Tottenham going for Poch.
“I love him,” replied the Dutchman.
“I think he did an amazing job for Spurs and it is such a pity as these days they sack managers like it is nothing, way too early.
“It is always the manager’s fault but the players can do something. If you want to be a leader off the field, stand up and fight for your coach.”
Our view
Pochettino to Tottenham would definitely be a feel-good story.
Spurs are in the doldrums. Enter the greatest manager in recent history to return and save them.
Great in theory, but in reality, there could be some issues.
The first is whether the issues that saw him get the sack in the first place are still there.
Would Pochettino get a big enough budget and control over transfers to actually transform the team?
Also, there’s a risk that there could be over-inflated expectations from his first spell at the club.
Would fans accept one, two or even three transitional seasons under Pochettino, bearing in mind what he previously achieved?
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
