Glenn Hoddle has named the Stoke City player that Tottenham Hotspur should watch out for in their Carabao Cup quarter-final tie.
And it's not John Obi Mikel who played under Spurs boss Jose Mourinho across two spells at Chelsea and joined the Potters on a free transfer in the summer window.
Rather, Hoddle has earmarked Sam Clucas as Stoke's dangerman.
This may come as a surprise as the 30-year-old has not made any of the last four matchday squads under Michael O'Neill because of injury and is doubtful for the game at the bet365 Stadium.
But Hoddle, who knows Clucas well from the winger's time in his academy, is hoping to see the Potters star pit himself against Spurs in the cup tie.
"I am going to go left-field here. I am going to go with Sam Clucas, who I had in my academy," Hoddle told the Evening Standard. "I will be really interested to see if he plays for Stoke against Tottenham in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday and how he plays.
"He had a great attitude.
"He was released from Lincoln, was out of football and that was what my academy was about.
"I would love to see him play and do well."
Stoke warmed up for the cup tie with a 1-0 win over Blackburn Rovers at the weekend thanks to a goal from Nick Powell.
The result maintained O'Neill's side play-off push as they remain level on points with sixth-placed Middlesbrough and the Northern Irishman has been full of praise for his players.
"It’s a great group of boys," he said. "We’ve played a lot of games already this season and we’re obviously stretched with a lot of injuries.
"We’ve had players come in, and sometimes play out of position slightly, but we can’t ask any more than what we are getting from them in terms of their application.
"There isn’t a game we’ve played this season where we haven’t fought right to the death, and that’s testament to the spirit of the lads."
With that said, Stoke are facing a goalkeeping crisis which could lead to Andy Lonergan, whose last competitive appearance was for Rochdale against Scunthorpe in March 2019, or an untested 19-year-old Blondy Nna Noukeu start against Spurs.
