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Ray Parlour has claimed that Tottenham’s Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is “not the greatest of players”, but has acknowledged he’s a key player in the team.

Hojbjerg joined Spurs last summer in a £15million deal (Sky Sports) from Southampton, which looks a great piece of business in hindsight from the North London club.

The 25-year-old defensive midfielder quickly established himself as a nailed-on starter in the XI and he’s a go-to player for manager Jose Mourinho.

His job involves plenty of defensive nous to protect the back four and he gets through a lot of work in the centre of the park, allowing the attackers ahead of him to thrive.

Parlour has recognised the work that the Denmark international does as important, but has taken a slight dig at his ability as a footballer.

“Sometimes don’t go for the best players, go for the people that are going to make a difference,” Parlour told talkSPORT.

“Look at Hojbjerg what he’s done for Spurs. He’s not the greatest of players, but he does a great job. Sometimes you need players like that in a team to get the best out of the other players.”

TBR’s View:

It seems ridiculous that someone would dig out Hojbjerg, as he’s been one of Spurs’ most consistent performers this season and been a real astute signing.

He’s added a grit and aggression to the team that was previously missing, so it’s no surprise that Mourinho favours him.

The no-nonsense enforcer is extremely consistent in the midfield and there is a great balance to the side when he features alongside Tanguy Ndombele and Moussa Sissoko.