Rio Ferdinand has enormous praise for senior Tottenham figure

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Rio Ferdinand has told BT Sport that Mauricio Pochettino is the manager any player would want to play for, as well as discussing his pre-match comments after Tottenham’s incredible comeback against Ajax.

Spurs went into the second leg with Ajax winning 1-0 on aggregate after Donny van de Beek’s goal in the first tie. Goals from Matthijs de Ligt and Hakim Ziyech gave Ajax a 3-0 aggregate lead at half-time.

But a Lucas Moura hat-trick – his last coming in the 95th minute – has seen Spurs progress into the Champions League semi-final where they will face Liverpool, who enjoyed an incredible comeback of their own.

Pochettino said before the match that he would “go home” if Spurs won the Champions League, with many debating what he actually meant by those comments. Ferdinand joked that “his agent is probably on the phone”.

“I don’t know if Daniel Levy would ever let him go,” Ferdinand said, when asked about Pochettino’s pre-match comments. “His agent is probably on the phone already.

“The spirit, the players, the fight that they’ve got. When you hear Pochettino on TV, that’s the kind of manager you want to play for. Brilliant, what a feeling that is for the boys.”

TBR’s view

Chairman Levy has got to do everything within his power, and more, to keep Pochettino at the club. The Argentine has taken Spurs to the biggest game in club football, without spending a penny since January 2018.

Spurs’ last purchase was Moura, and it proved that the manager knows what he is doing when it comes to signing players. The Brazil international now has 15 goals this season, including Wednesday’s hat-trick.

A new contract, a big summer transfer kitty – anything. Levy must give Pochettino anything he wants in order for him to stay as manager of the north London side.