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Ange Postecoglou sarcastically fired back at a reporter after being left stunned regarding a question about Yves Bissouma's recent skiing trip.

The Tottenham Hotspur boss was forced to defend the Mali international over clarification on whether the midfielder's mini-getaway was sanctioned.

After a weekend off with Spurs out of the FA Cup, the north London outfit are back in action on Thursday in their Europa League last-16 tie away at AZ Alkmaar.

Ahead of the match, Bissouma took to Instagram on Monday to share images of himself at a ski resort.

And in Postecoglou's pre-match press conference on Wednesday, one reporter looked to quiz the Australian on whether he had given his players time off ahead of a crucial match.

The ex-Celtic boss was left mystified by the question as he closed his eyes in almost disbelief, before having a little chuckle to himself.

Sarcastically responding, the 59-year-old said: "Seriously, what sort of question is that?

"No I didn’t, we were training but he decided to go skiing…

"Come on mate, you’re better than that!"

Refusing to back down, Postecoglou was then asked whether Bissouma did indeed go skiing.

Issuing a bullish response, he remarked: "Well, he obviously did."

As for his views on whether he has any concerns over the leisurely activity, Postecoglou remarked: "I don’t worry about those things, mate.

"They’re adults, they’re human beings, they had a couple of days off.

"They can choose to use that time as wisely as they can to help them be ready for what’s in store for us.

"You kind of hope that they’re sensible about these things and go about whatever they do in a manner that befits the position they hold, but I have no concerns... and he’s fine."

Bissouma is in line to feature for Spurs in their last-16 first leg tie against AZ Alkmaar, who they beat 1-0 during the league phase of the Europa League in October.

The 28-year-old has featured in 32 games in all competitions this season - scoring two goals.

And he will be vying to be named in Postecoglou's line-up having been left on the bench during their previous 1-0 home defeat to Manchester City.

The Europa League represents Spurs' only chance of silverware this season as they look to win a first trophy since 2008.

Rafael van der Vaart spent only two seasons with Tottenham Hotspur but it was long enough to declare they were 'maybe the best' team he played in.

Van der Vaart moved to north London in 2010 from Real Madrid, where he played alongside a galaxy of superstars including Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Raul, Sergio Ramos and Xabi Alonso, to name five.

Although he left the glamour of Madrid behind, he joined Tottenham at a time when they had numerous stars of their own.

Ledley King, Gareth Bale, Luka Modric and Jermain Defoe were all on the club's books prior to the Dutchman's arrival.

In Van der Vaart's second season, Scott Parker, Emmanuel Adebayor and Kyle Walker all joined to further strengthen Tottenham's impressive squad under then-boss Harry Redknapp.

Even though the team recorded Premier League finishes of fifth and fourth in his two years at the club and failed to land any domestic or continental silverware, Van der Vaart waxed lyrical about the 'fantastic team.'

"Before this interview, I was thinking about that time, you think, 'Wow, that was maybe the best team I ever played in,'" Van der Vaart told talkSPORT Breakfast.

Van der Vaart's first season at White Hart Lane coincided with his best goalscoring return in the league since the 2002/03 campaign with Ajax, as the Dutchman netted 13 times.

A primary reason behind the attacking midfielder's impressive goal return was down to Redknapp and the legendary manager's reluctance to shackle his attacking gem, and a telepathic understanding with Peter Crouch.

It's why Van der Vaart looks back at his entire two-year stint at Tottenham as the time he felt the best on the pitch.

"I think you have different phases in your career," Van der Vaart said.

"Of course, Ajax especially in the beginning. Then I moved to Hamburg and I had a great time.

"But when you look at team, quality, talent and potential ... I think I had the best time at Tottenham.

"Also with Harry Redknapp of course, a coach that I really liked because he gave me so much freedom on the pitch."

Tottenham could certainly do with someone of Van der Vaart's ilk right now given the team sits a lowly 13th in the Premier League, with the Europa League the club's only chance of silverware this term.

Should Ange Postecoglou's side fall short in the Europa League, it would mark the 17th-straight season without a trophy.

As to what Tottenham can do to end a drought unbecoming of a team with their state-of-the-art stadium and training ground, Van der Vaart believed the club must stop overpaying for 'normal' players and instead should be prepared to fork out more for those who will take them to the next level.

"At the end of the day, I think Tottenham always tried to go to the next level, but the last step is the biggest," Van der Vaart said.

"Of course, you can build a new stadium and everything is perfect. If you compare it to my time, we were still on the Chigwell training ground and everything was smaller. White Hart Lane, which for me, was the best ambience I ever played in. Now, everything is big. You want to go to the next step and you don't play like that.

"At the end of the day, they bought so many players for crazy money in my point of view. You can buy less players and buy better ones and pay a little bit more. But now these days, they pay money for normal players."

Van der Vaart added: "At the end, it's the talent of the group and in my days, we had so much talent it was unbelievable."

Van der Vaart and the rest of the Tottenham faithful will have to wait until the summer to see whether Postecoglou and the club heed his advice about how to spend the transfer budget.

But a Europa League trophy would go some way to attracting a higher calibre of players and, at present, is the only way Tottenham feature in Europe next season given their position in the table.

Tottenham believe they are leading the race for Southampton teenage talent Tyler Dibling.

Dibling is expected to leave the south coast once sorry Saints’ return to the Championship is sealed.

The England under-21 international is out of contract in the summer of 2026 and talkSPORT has been told he unhappy with the new deal he has been offered.

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy believes that will make it difficult for Saints to stick to their valuation, in excess of £50m.

As well as Spurs, Newcastle and Aston Villa had made initial enquiries around prising the 19-year-old Dibling away from St Mary’s.

Cunha to Arsenal off the cards?

Matheus Cunha’s hot-headedness could cost him his dream move to Arsenal.

Cunha has been the shining light in Wolves’ fight for survival, scoring 15 goals in all competitions.

With his recently-signed contract including a £62.5m release clause, Arsenal are expected to make a strong play for the Brazilian this summer.

But sources have told talkSPORT Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has reservations about Cunha’s character.

Cunha was sent off during Wolves’ FA Cup defeat at Bournemouth on Saturday for lashing out at Milos Kerkez.

The incident comes after he was hit with a two-match ban earlier this season for clashing with a member of Ipswich’s backroom staff.

Liverpool join race for Bournemouth star

Liverpool are set to make a move for sought-after Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez.

Kerkez is ready to leave the Dorset coast after putting himself on the radar of several top Premier League and European clubs with a string of stellar performances for the Cherries.

The notebook has had it confirmed the former AC Milan youngster is on Liverpool’s radar ahead of a summer rebuild at Anfield.

Kerkez was signed by Bournemouth in the summer of 2023 when Liverpool’s sporting director Richard Hughes was in situ at the Vitality Stadium.

He also recently switched agents, paving the way for a potential exit.

Newcastle eye Pope replacement

Newcastle’s interest in Burnley clean sheet king James Trafford has put Nick Pope’s future at St James Park in doubt.

Newcastle are confident of finally signing the £30m rated Trafford this summer, although talk he has already agreed personal terms have been played down to talkSPORT.

With Martin Dubravka signing a new contract and Newcastle still conscious of potential PSR issues, Trafford’s arrival could see them cash in on long-standing number one Pope.

Pope will also want to be playing regularly in the Premier League to enhance his chances of being included in England’s squad for next year’s World Cup.

Harry Redknapp was left with his head in his hands after Benoit Assou-Ekotto admitted he didn't know who Tottenham's blockbuster new signing was.

The year was 2010 and Redknapp was building a promising Spurs side with global superstars aplenty.

While already boasting Gareth Bale, Luka Modric and Jermaine Defoe in their roster, Tottenham brought in Rafael van der Vaart on transfer deadline day in the summer of 2010 in an £8million deal that certainly got tongues wagging.

Joining from Real Madrid, the Dutch star was the real deal and seen by many as the last piece of the jigsaw in a Spurs side who were ready to challenge for major honours.

But while the superstar signing left fans very excited, the hype and hysteria of the deal was lost on Assou-Ekotto.

The French defender has a reputation for being an 'anti-footballer' as he saw the game as simply a job and refused to be drawn into the celebrity fanfare that came with life as a Premier League star.

Asked if it's true that Assou-Ekotto didn't like football, his Spurs teammate Sebastien Bassong told Inside Spurs: “That’s 110 per cent true.

“Benoit, I had him on my podcast a long time ago and he found out that he was good at football but he’s so down to earth and he’s now back in France living in a small village and doesn’t do anything.

“He doesn’t travel – he’s travelled too much, that’s what he said, he’s just taking care of his kids.”

Responding to a comment that Assou-Ekotto would be a better fit in today’s game where players are more protected and enjoy more privacy, Bassong said: “He said that he wouldn’t because he’s too truthful.

“If he was saying things he thought that the narrative would be twisted and his words on social media.

“But if you’re talking about Rafa, do you know the story about when Benoit met Rafa (Van der Vaart) for the first time?

“Rafa signed for Spurs on the last day of the transfer window and the next day we had a team photo so Rafa was there and Benoit was late and was sitting next to me and Rafa was coming with Harry (Redknapp).

“Harry was introducing him to everybody and everybody knew who he was because he’d come from Real Madrid.

“He came to Benoit and he said to me, ‘who is that?’

“Harry introduced them and said: ‘Rafa, this is Benoit’ and Benoit was like, ‘what’s your name?’

“He didn’t have a clue about who Rafa Van der Vaart was and Harry got so embarrassed and was like, ‘don’t worry, don’t worry’.

“But that’s how he was. Before a game he’d be playing and he’d ask me, ‘the player I’m up against, is he left-footed or right-footed? I’ll deal with him, just give me some clues'."

That season, Tottenham secured a fifth place finish in the Premier League and made it all the way to the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

They then finished fourth in the Premier League in 2011/12, reaching the semi-finals of the FA Cup in the process.

Van der Vaart went on to spend two seasons with Tottenham in which he scored 28 goals and provided 18 assists in 77 games in north London.

Meanwhile, Assou-Ekotto made over 200 appearances for Spurs and is fondly remembered as something of a cult hero for the Lilywhites.

Mathys Tel ignored Harry Kane when naming the best player he has ever played with.

The duo were team-mates at Bayern Munich prior to Tel's loan switch to Tottenham on deadline day.

Kane combined with the Frenchman for four goals in their 42 appearances together since the start of last season.

Both players scored and assisted twice each across those strikes during their time playing together.

However, Tel named a different former Bayern team-mate after being asked to name the best player he has ever played with.

The 19-year-old told TNT Sports: "They are all top players but Sadio Mane was working everyday so hard. After training, before and (up) to the games. So he is an example for me."

Mane and Tel made 11 appearances together during the 2022/23 season, the former's only campaign in Germany.

After signing from Liverpool, he scored 12 goals and provided six assists in 38 appearances for the club.

Their partnership would come to an end in 2023, though, as Mane was sold to Al Nassr.

Tel also revealed what Kane told him before he joined Spurs during the winter transfer window.

He explained: "He told me ‘you will enjoy it, the training ground is very good. If you need anything just call me and I can help you.’"

Kane previously backed the teenage forward to succeed in North London after his signing was announced.

The England captain said: "Mathys is a great guy, really hard-working, full of potential so it'll be important for him to get some minutes under his belt and some regular game time to develop and keep improving to fulfil all the potential that he has.

"It's great for Tottenham to have a young, hungry player with loads of talent to hopefully score some goals and push Tottenham as far as possible.

"I'm wishing him all the best and hope he has a fantastic time there, I'm sure he will."

Tel's loan spell with Spurs is scheduled to last until the end of the season, with an option to buy included in the deal.

He has so far made five appearances for the club across all competitions, scoring once.

Dele Alli was named in the Como matchday squad for the first time this weekend.

The former Tottenham and Everton midfielder has not played a match in more than two years, but has made the biggest step towards a return.

The 28-year-old was listed on Como's squad for their clash with Roma on Sunday as a debut could be looming.

The club posted their squad sheet with Alli listed as the number 8 and they said: "First one for Dele! We're buzzing, just like you guys."

He started training with Cesc Fabregas' side over Christmas and the club were cautious over what that meant.

"Let’s see. It would be to help him get in shape and nothing more," Fabregas said at the time.

However, it appears Alli quickly proved himself and penned a contract until 2026.

The last time he played a match was back in February 2023, for Besiktas, while on loan from Everton.

A groin injury cut short that temporary spell and he saw his Toffees contract expire in June 2023.

But he had been allowed to use theToffees' Finch Farm training facility to build up his fitness ahead of a potential comeback.

That's when Como stepped in and gave him his chance.

Alli has struggled for regular over the last few years after seeing his role and game time diminish at Tottenham.

He played 269 games for Spurs before signing by Everton for £10million.

Just 13 appearances later, he became a free agent.

Injury problems continued and that stopped him from signing another Premier League contract.

In July 2023, he opened up on how he became addicted to sleeping pills upon his return from the stint in Turkey.

"Now is the right time for me to tell people what's been going on," he said.

"It's tough to talk about because it's something I've hid for a long time.

"I'm scared to talk about it.

"When I came back from Turkey I found out I needed an operation I was in a bad place mentally and I decided to go to a modern day rehab facility for mental health.

"They deal with addiction and trauma. I felt it was time for me.

"You can't be told to go there - you have to know and make the decision yourself or it's not going to work.

"I was caught in a bad cycle and things that were doing me harm."

He also went on to open up about how he was sexually abused as a child by a friend of his mum's.

He said: "Everton were amazing and supported I will be grateful to them forever.

"For them to be so honest and understanding I couldn't ask for anything more during a time I was making the biggest decision of my life - doing something I was scared to do. I'm happy I've done it."

Making the Como squad is a big step back for Alli, having admitted he contemplated retiring when he was 24.

Gareth Bale might be the greatest British footballer of all time, but one former Tottenham player is in no doubt about who his best teammate was.

Bale was at Spurs from 2007 to 2013 and became unplayable in his final two seasons in the Premier League before Real Madrid broke the world record transfer fee to sign him for £85million.

There, he won 15 trophies, including five Champions League crowns, playing an integral part in each victory.

Yet it was a teammate at both Spurs and Real that one former colleague rates above anyone he played with.

Recalling his time alongside Bale at White Hart Lane, Sebastien Bassong told talkSPORT: “When we played [Inter] Milan I was playing alongside him and Samuel Eto’o came to me and said, ‘Who’s that guy?’

“I said, ‘You’re about to find out, he’s gonna retire Maicon’, and he put him in a grave.

“He could have played by himself on the left, left-back and left wing. He was an introvert, he didn’t talk much.”

“But…” Bassong continued. “I’ll still go for Luka [Modric].”

Rating the Croatian legend as his greatest-ever teammate, Bassong explained why the six-time Champions League winner was like no other.

“Luka, we called him Mozart, he’s the best one because he won the Ballon d’Or, at Spurs I’d go for Luka - no doubt,” he began, before explaining the 39-year-old’s leadership qualities.

“Luka isn’t a talker, he’s an introvert by nature, but when Luka spoke everyone listened.

“Luka doesn't get angry, but if he does there’s a reason because he’s so good and efficient. That’s the kind of person you want to follow, when he says something, give the ball to Luka and he’s going to dictate the game.

“One day I had the ball and he came square to me and I didn’t give him the ball because there were two players on his back. He came to me and said, ‘Bass, give me the ball’. I said, ‘Yeah but…’ He said, ‘Just give me the ball!’

“The next time I gave him the ball and he did something amazing, dropped his shoulder and went past two players, out to the right then a Crouchy [Peter Crouch] goal.

“He came back to me and said, ‘What did I tell you, give me the ball!’ I said, ‘Listen boss, from now on I’ll give you the ball!'

"He was a leader, he was the boss, he was a captain and someone you want to follow.”

Modric headed to the Spanish capital a year before Bale in 2012, and created a legacy of one of the game’s greatest ever players.

A World Cup finalist who’s still going strong at 39, Modric received a special tribute after a stunning long-range goal against Girona on February 23.

Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti was asked if Modric will receive a new contract and become the first player to appear for Los Blancos at the age of 40, and replied: "I have another player who won a Champions League at 40, who was [Paulo] Maldini.

“The two can be compared in terms of what a footballer has to have. There is a genetic element, but above all it is the commitment they have.

“That is the only way to reach 40, like Luka will…”

Pep Guardiola has revealed what he said to Djed Spence after Manchester City’s 1-0 win at Tottenham.

The City boss was seen giving Spence a playful slap at full-time while engaging in deep discussion.

It’s not the first time the Spaniard has imparted his words of wisdom on opposition players and the in-form Spence was next on the list.

Spence, who was unlucky to be on the losing side on Wednesday night despite only coming on as a second-half substitute for Destiny Udogie, saw his display appreciated by Guardiola who made a beeline for him after the final whistle.

And in true Guardiola fashion, he showed his appreciation by slapping the 24-year-old in view of the cameras.

Asked what he said to Spence after his side’s win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Guardiola said: “ ‘Why do you run too much? You should be more calm’.

He continued: “[Destiny] Udogie is quite similar, the pace of this team is difficult to… Maybe Liverpool, but they are unbelievable, unbearable, and every time they have the ball and run, they’re unstoppable; Spence, Pedro Porro, Udogie, [Dejan] Kulusevski, [Heung-min] Son.

“It’s an incredibly physical team with a clear idea, they play really good. They played without [Cristian] Romeo and [Micky] van de Ven; two of the best central defenders in the league…”

Spurs gave a good account of themselves particularly in the second half as they pushed to cancel out Erling Haaland’s 12th-minute goal.

Guardiola’s side dominated the early exchanges which saw Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario called into action.

Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou’s half-time team talk appeared to make a difference to his side’s approach after the interval but were unable to breach a City defence that had kept just one clean sheet in their last ten outings.

Speaking after the match Postecoglou admits his side paid the price for their poor first-half showing.

“First half, I think there was some overeagerness there, especially with the ball,” he said. “I thought we were wasteful and we allowed City to get a bit of rhythm in there and when they do that, they pick you off and obviously scored, granted some good chances in there.

“We hung in there, which is the most important thing, stayed, it was only 1-0 at half-time, second half, we just calmed down a little bit with the ball and really relentless without it, I thought we dominated the whole second half, played in there half, created chances but obviously missing the goal and disappointed to lose.”

“Like I said, we’re missing that sort of final action a little bit but we were just a lot more calmer, a lot more clear-headed in our movements in what we needed to, I just thought in the first half, we were just too eager to try and go and hurt City and we kind of paid the price for that.”

Tottenham’s exit from the FA Cup means they are not back in action until next Thursday when they take on Dutch side AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League round of 16.

The competition now provides Postecoglou’s men with their only shot at silverware and with that, a potential spot in next season’s Champions League.

Over to you, James Maddison.

The cheeky war of words between the Tottenham Hotspur star and Manchester United great Roy Keane has taken a fresh turn as the latter mocked Maddison's trademark celebration in the latest episode of the Stick to Football podcast.

Gary Neville asked Keane for his thoughts on Maddison's celebration against the Red Devils on February 16, as the Spurs ace shushed towards the camera after scoring the only goal of the match.

Maddison's gesture was seen as a swipe in Keane's direction after the United great questioned whether the seven-time England international was capable of stepping up when his team needed it.

"Good on him," Keane said.

"Yeah, absolutely no problem. I still go to what I said. I don't think he does enough of that.

"But when he scored, I was at home with my cup of tea, and I went, 'Good on you.'

"No problem. If people have a go at you, you answer them back."

But it was Keane's next comment that left the entire panel in stitches.

"I was hoping he was going to do the same the other day, but he was a substitute against Ipswich," Keane said.

Maddison began Tottenham's 4-1 win over the Tractor Boys on February 22 on the bench but managed to provide an assist for Djed Spence just 13 minutes after he came on.

Neville added: "James, he's now monitoring your every move."

Keane then stared down one of the cameras and mimicked Maddison's trademark darts celebration, prompting more laughter from the rest of the group.

Arsenal great Ian Wright came to Maddison's defence and said: "Just do your stuff James, because you can't f****** win."

Unfortunately for Maddison, he will have to wait until next Thursday to fire back at Keane having failed to impress in Spurs' 1-0 loss to Manchester City on Wednesday.

Maddison was brought back into the starting line-up by Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou but finished with only a yellow card to his name after he produced a rugby-style tackle to stop Savinho on a counter-attack.

Erling Haaland's first half strike was all that separated the two sides as he took his league tally to 20.

The result leaves City in fourth on 47 points, one off of third-placed Nottingham Forest.

As for Spurs, the defeat kept them 13th on 33 points.

Postecoglou's side is next in action on March 6 as they travel to AZ Alkmaar for the first leg of their Europa League round of 16 clash.

Liverpool vs Newcastle is one of the Premier League's most iconic fixtures - it regularly throws up memorable moments.

The two teams renew their rivalry on Wednesday night at Anfield - live on talkSPORT - in what has the potential to be a game of the season contender.

Their upcoming meeting comes just over three weeks before their Carabao Cup final clash.

Both clubs have already been involved in a classic this campaign, which took place at St James' Park in December.

Newcastle twice led on home soil, only for the Reds to fight back to lead 3-2 heading into the 90th minute.

But a dramatic equaliser from Fabian Schar earned the Magpies a share of the spoils.

And with Liverpool looking to tighten their grip on the Premier League title and Newcastle fighting for a top four spot, you can be sure of more entertainment in Merseyside.

Incredibly, there has been just one goalless draw between the two clubs in the last 77 league matches [82 in all competitions].

Football fans will remember fondly the back-to-back 4-3 victories Liverpool inflicted over Newcastle in the 1995/96 and 1996/97 seasons.

The two games are considered as two of the greatest top-flight matches of all time.

And speaking to talkSPORT.com, ex-Watford striker Troy Deeney has had his say on his top three matches since the Premier League's inception in 1992.

Here are the three fixtures that have left a lasting impression on the 36-year-old.

Having raced into a four-goal lead with just 26 minutes on the clock, the Gunners were on course to record the Premier League's biggest ever victory.

Instead, they became the first [and only] team to throw away a four-goal lead - conceding four times in the space of 19 minutes.

The late Cheick Tiote sealed the stunning comeback - scoring a sumptuous 30-yard volley in the 87th minute to rescue the Magpies a point.

Ranking it as his third best match, Deeney said: "I like the Newcastle vs Arsenal one, that's the Tiote goal - god rest his soul.

"I saw him son at the game [Newcastle vs Arsenal Carabao Cup semi-final second leg] the other week.

"That was an unbelievable game."

The first of the 4-3 thrillers, supporters were witness to an all-time classic in an end-to-end affair which saw both teams lead at Anfield.

But it was the hosts who nicked it at the death thanks to Stan Collymore's injury time strike that left Newcastle boss Kevin Keegan slumped over the advertising hoardings in disbelief.

Commenting on the fixture, Deeney remarked: "Liverpool vs Newcastle - the one that comes straight to my mind is Stan Collymore scoring.

"Newcastle were up and Collymore scored at the end.

"And I just remember the vivid picture as a kid is Kevin Keegan in the dugout just defeated.

"When I hear that fixture [Liverpool vs Newcastle], that's the game that springs to my mind."

Leading 3-0 at half-time, not even the most optimistic of Spurs fans would have predicted the scoreline against the Premier League favourites.

But just as champions do, the Red Devils fought back to claim a famous victory after scoring five unanswered goals.

It was David Beckham who sealed the win with a swerving half-volley into the top left corner - a strike that lives long in the memory of Deeney.

He said of the eight-goal affair: "And then a random one - and it's only my opinion of the game I love watching.

"You remember Spurs 3-5 Manchester United at White Hart Lane when Becks scores?

"That's my favourite game to watch of all time. Sometimes they have it on [the TV] and they play the whole game.

"I remember watching it as a kid and I just thought, 'This is sick.'

"I remember David Beckham put that whip into the far corner, yeah, it was a sick game of football."