Glenn Hoddle is expected to be among the guests of honour for the second test event at Tottenham’s new stadium on Saturday — the ‘Legends’ match against Inter Milan.
The former Spurs star has returned to work as a pundit for BT Sport after undergoing life-saving heart surgery in November.
Spurs want the occasion to be a celebration of their past and the 61-year-old former England international — who won two FA Cups and the Uefa Cup with the club and had a spell as manager — is among a raft of former players who will be honoured in front of around 50,000 supporters at the second test event next weekend.
Double-winners Terry Dyson, Les Allen and Cliff Jones are among those who have been invited to the event in a non-playing capacity.
The new stadium opened with a nod to the future yesterday, as Spurs Under-18s beat Southampton 3-1 in the first test event, with J’Neil Bennett writing himself into the history books with the first goal, a brilliant curling finish. Spurs have announced that Jurgen Klinsmann, Dimitar Berbatov, Robbie Keane and Darren Anderton will be part of their squad next week and they are hoping to confirm the next batch of former stars, including David Ginola and Ledley King, soon.
Inter’s squad includes Javier Zanetti, Laurent Blanc, Juan Sebastian Veron, Dejan Stankovic, Benito Carbone and former Spurs midfielder Nicola Berti.
The Italians have also included Klinsmann and Keane — who both had spells with the Nerazzurri — in their squad, leaving the forwards likely to swap sides at half-time.
Spurs were this morning waiting to discovery from Haringey Council if they had passed the first test event, which was watched by 28,987 fans.
Like many supporters, Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino was left struggling for words when he was presented to the crowd at half-time.
“I think it is unbelievable, it is so difficult to explain in only a few words,” said Pochettino.
“We all feel the same, so excited, I got the same feeling when we left White Hart Lane on the last day: we were crying. Now, in the first day in the new stadium, we feel the same emotion. We need to cry because our dream became true.”
If both test events pass muster, Spurs will open the stadium against Crystal Palace on April 3 before hosting the Champions League quarter-final first leg against Manchester City six days later.
Pochettino added: “We are in a very good place in the Premier League and, of course, we have a massive challenge in the quarter-final of the Champions League and I think with all of our fans — more than 62,000 — it is going to be fantastic to play and we can make it possible our dream to be in the semi-finals. Why not?”
Pochettino also thanked Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy for delivering the stadium and saluted fans for their patience during the 679 days — 97 weeks — since they left White Hart Lane.
“Thank you so much to the fans for being so patient because in the last two years we moved to Wembley and [had] all the problems it means to move from your home to there,” he said. “But now all the effort has paid off. It is going to be amazing
