Rio Ferdinand lauds Spurs star Tanguy Ndombele after FA Cup win

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Rio Ferdinand has told BT Sport (broadcast on 25/1; 21:50) how Joe Hart said to him during Tottenham Hotspur’s FA Cup win over Wycombe that Tanguy Ndombele is unplayable as the midfielder produced another superb display in the tie.

Jose Mourinho’s men survived a scare to win 4-1 against the Championship side. The contest was just a few minutes from going into extra-time. But Spurs bagged three late goals to book their place in the fifth round.

Two of those goals came from Ndombele. The Frenchman was brought on with just over 20 minutes remaining.

They were two moments of remarkable quality from the 24-year-old, who now has four goals in his last six in all competitions.

And following the game, Ferdinand shed light on a conversation he had shared with Hart while his former international teammate watched Ndombele steal the show.

“I said, ‘how good is he, Joe?’ And he said, ‘Listen, this kid’s a world-beater’,” he told BT Sport. “He could be anything. He just turned round during the game and said, ‘this kid is unplayable’.

“He came on and the game immediately changed because he can draw people in one v one, open the game up, beat a man and then play the right pass.

“This finish here [for his first goal] is so nonchalant, it’s frightening. Side-foot, cut across it a bit. It’s a beautiful strike.”

It has been an outstanding season for Ndombele. For some time, it appeared that he may face a major fight to secure a future in North London after struggling during the opening months of Mourinho’s tenure.

But in a team that includes a number of world-class players, Ndombele is starting to become a real talisman. And there is little reason to think that he cannot get considerably better still.