Mauricio Pochettino has dropped a strong hint that he sees his long-term future in English football.
The Tottenham head coach has made a huge impact this season, guiding his team to within two points of Premier League leaders Leicester with only 12 games remaining.
Pochettino is not yet two years into a five-year contract at White Hart Lane but his work has brought him to the attention of some of the top teams in England and Europe, including Manchester United.
The Argentine played and coached in Spain before leaving Espanyol for Southampton in 2013 and, although he did not rule out changing countries in the future, it is clear he is happy where he is. “I like England very much,” he said. “We [my staff] are happy, as are our families. The Premier League is the most competitive league and financially, it’s the strongest.
“There are all the conditions needed to carry on working here and to enjoy the culture that there is. You go to play at a stadium in the provinces and you find a crowd of 20,000. That’s worth a lot in terms of why we love this sport and have passion for it.
“England is the best place to enjoy what you do. Would I rule out a return to Spain? Never. It’s clear that people have dreams. You need to live day by day and not think too much about the future. What will happen, will happen.”
Players coached by Pochettino have also made significant progress during his three years in English football.
Harry Kane, Eric Dier, Dele Alli and Kyle Walker should all be included in England’s Euro 2016 squad, while former Southampton players like Adam Lallana and Nathaniel Clyne would also expect to be involved in this summer’s tournament in France.
“We were lucky enough to find a great group of young English players at Southampton and now the same is happening at Tottenham,” Pochettino told Spanish sports daily Marca. “We are proud to help them grow.”
Read More
MORE ABOUT