Tim Sherwood: Tottenham sack did me a favour

Sherwood returns to White Hart Lane on Saturday

Nick Mashiter
Thursday 09 April 2015 21:47 BST
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Tim Sherwood reacts on the touchline
Tim Sherwood reacts on the touchline

As Tim Sherwood, the Aston Villa manager, prepares to return to White Hart Lane on Saturday he has insisted that Tottenham Hotspur did him a favour by sacking him.

The 46-year-old left White Hart Lane last summer and was replaced by Mauricio Pochettino after just five months in charge at Spurs. On he takes his struggling Villa side – just three points above the Premier League relegation zone – to Tottenham, his first return to the Lane since his dismissal.

However, despite many people feeling Sherwood was poorly treated when he lost his job at Spurs, he believes it was the best thing to happen to him. “It’s a good club,” Sherwood said. “They’ve been very good to me, Tottenham, over the years. I wouldn’t be sitting here as Aston Villa manager if wasn’t for Tottenham Hotspur.

“I have a lot of respect for that football club. I was pleased with what I did but I respect the decision made by [Tottenham chairman] Daniel Levy and his board. I haven’t got to agree with it. I just move on. I thank them for not being there now as it’s the reason I am at this fantastic football club. I’ve been in communication with Daniel Levy since I’ve left, I haven’t got a problem.”

Sherwood also feels pride at seeing Harry Kane and Nabil Bentaleb establish themselves in the first team after he gave them extended runs. As Spurs’ technical director in 2012, leading the Under-21 side, he also saw the rise of Ryan Mason.

“I do look back with immense pride,” Sherwood added, “especially if you’re talking about the young players who have emerged to be regulars in the first team, there are probably three or four who are first names on that team sheet.

“You have to give a lot of credit to Pochettino for sticking with those boys also. A lot of managers would have gone, ‘No thank you, give me some of those players who end in an “I” or an “O”’ from foreign countries, who might not be as good as these young players. But he’s stuck [with them].”

“I think I was right because they’ve emerged as top talents. Kane was exceptional. These are players who cost the club nothing, probably a hundred grand between them on what they’ve eaten through the years in that canteen! That’s all.”

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