Tottenham could turn to a familiar face to help them fight relegation following the departure of Igor Tudor, but it won't be Mauricio Pochettino. With the ex-Spurs boss in charge of the United States ahead of a home World Cup, the club could look even closer to home.
Defender Ben Davies could be involved in the coaching staff of any interim manager, with just seven matches remaining of the season. Davies has even been touted as a potential appointment in some corners, alongside figures such as Harry Redknapp, Glenn Hoddle, Tim Sherwood and Chris Hughton, all of whom have experience in north London.
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Davies, who underwent ankle surgery in January, has an uncertain role for the remainder of the season. The Welshman has already attained a UEFA A licence and is set to see his contract expire with the club in the summer. The veteran still had plans to continue playing for a number of years, heading into this term, but his coaching qualification is a rare feat for someone still in the midst of their career.
Tudor's exit, after just 44 days, sees Tottenham needing to find a third head coach of the season. Spurs have seven matches remaining in the Premier League and are just one point outside of the relegation zone ahead of West Ham United.
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Managers such as Roberto De Zerbi and Sean Dyche have been linked with the job. The latter played down talk of having a meeting with the club, while De Zerbi departed Marseille earlier this year but may require some convincing.
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It is said Spurs would likely offer the 46-year-old a major salary and bonus for keeping the club in the Premier League. The Italian could still decide that he'd rather wait for more options to come in the summer, pushing the Lilywhites to find another interim boss as they plan to have a new boss in time for the end of the international break.
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While he is also unavailable until the summer, Pochettino recently spoke about his love for managing in England. The former Chelsea and PSG coach is out of contract with the US following the World Cup.
"I miss the football scene in England. I love the country, its culture, the football culture,” Pochettino told L’Equipe.
“For anyone with a competitive spirit who wants to measure themselves against others and test their limits, it's the ideal place. Here, you have to give your best constantly.”
The 54-year-old also revealed that Spurs had enquired over his availability in the past. "Not just Tottenham, other very big clubs too,” Pochettino said.
"When that six-month season ended [in 2021], there was a bit of... Well, with this whole COVID situation, the situation at the club created instability. In every area.
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"There was a period of change, uncomfortable situations, situations that... didn't give the impression that it was possible to work in a stable environment, like the one we have today.
"I enjoyed my experience at PSG. But I had other options, which I shared with the club, but they chose not to listen to any of them."