Sports
2019.04.09 17:00 GMT+8

Teddy Sheringham says Spurs can beat City in Champions League quarterfinals

Mike Fox

Ahead of English Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur's UEFA Champions League last 8 tie with Manchester City on Tuesday night, CGTN Sports Scene's Mike Fox sat down with club legend Teddy Sheringham. 

Speaking in Shanghai at a promotional event for the International Champions Cup, the 52-year-old reflected on the rise of Spurs and gave a bold prediction for the encounter.

Sheringham told CGTN Sports Scene, "I have been really optimistic. The chances of getting past Manchester City is not a great tie for us but I really think that we could win this game. If we win that you know we can go into the semifinal and anything can happen."

Sheringham was one of the goal-scorers for the Red Devils in the historic 1999 UEFA Champions League final that saw Manchester United came from behind to win the match as well as the title in the dying moments of the game.

Tottenham Hotspur's Lucas Moura, Kyle Walker-Peters and Harry Kane during training, Hotspur Training Centre, London, April 8, 2019 /VCG Photo

However, he is currently a brand ambassador for the Spurs – a side where he played before joining United and also after his stint at Old Trafford. Sheringham, in fact, holds the record for being the oldest scorer in Premier League history.

"Ryan Giggs almost got there and he played till he was 39 or 40. It happens but you have to be very, very lucky. Your desire has to remain for a long time. You have to be lucky with injuries as well," he mentioned.

The last couple of years have seen a great resurgence for Mauricio Pochetino's team and for Sheringham, "I think you have to grow as a football club and build. The structure is great within the football club and with the youth coming through. That builds consistency. The manager signing another long-term deal was great for Tottenham. Moving into the new stadium and competing at the top level right until the end of the season make big differences."

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Ronny Johnsen and Teddy Sheringham celebrate with the European Cup, Nou Camp, Barcelona, Spain, May 26, 1999. /VCG Photo

He added, "You can't come like a Leicester from nowhere and win it but the safe way is to build strongly and structure it right. Getting into Champions League quarterfinals, challenging for the Premier League for in the last couple of months this season is going forward in a slow but comfortable way."

While lauding the performance of Spurs, he remarked, "It's been going great and once we move into the new stadium it's going to be the icing on the cake for us."

"I think it's really exciting times at Tottenham Hotspur at the moment We have got a fantastic manager in Pochetino. Moving into the new stadium and playing in the Champions League quarterfinal could have been than challenging in the Premier League."

"We understand that but we are growing as a football club. We are getting better every year. We understand that the next step is to win a trophy. But competing for trophies at the end of the season is what it is all about. That's what we are still doing. Hopefully, things will turn around very soon," the former forward said.

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