Glenn Hoddle insists Tottenham must not be distracted by their new stadium when it finally opens to host Crystal Palace on Wednesday night.
The grand opening comes amid the worst spell of Mauricio Pochettino’s reign, with Spurs winless in their last five league games and locked in a battle to qualify for next season’s Champions League.
While there may be a party atmosphere around their breathtaking £1billion arena on Wednesday night, Palace will be keen to spoil the fun and boot Spurs out of the top four.
And club legend Hoddle has warned the players to stay focused on their opponents rather than their glitzy new ground.
“The stadium is not going to do it for them and the fans are not going to do it for them,” the 61-year-old told talkSPORT.
“The players have got to really focus on playing for those three points tonight against a difficult Palace team.
“If they win they can start getting a bit of momentum and belief going into the City game, which would be fantastic.
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“But they’ve got to do the business, the stadium won’t win the game for you. The players have got to go out and almost switch their minds off a little bit. You’ve got to keep your focus on your opponents.”
The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, widely referred to as the new White Hart Lane, is the second largest club ground in England (behind Old Trafford) and boasts many revolutionary features.
And Hoddle can’t wait to see it.
“I’m so excited about the new stadium, it just looks incredible,” he added.
“It looks like an arena where the players will just be inspired.
“Whoever has built it, the architects, has really thought deeply about how it can impact the team. It’s very cleverly done.
“And I think this season we’re going to need it to get in the top four with the way things are going. I’m hoping tonight they can get off the mark, it’s a really important three points.”
Listen to the full Glenn Hoddle interview above.