Glenn Hoddle believes Tottenham are strong contenders for the Premier League title under Harry Redknapp, after their strong start to the season.
Spurs are currently sat in third place in the table, and are only two points behind second place Manchester United, with a game in hand over the current champions.
Hoddle said: “I’ve been saying for the last two seasons that Spurs have as strong a squad as anyone except now Manchester City.
“They’ve got depth that matches Arsenal, Chelsea and maybe even Man United. The fact they kept Modric, built on the side they had, and now have the likes of Defoe who can come off the bench and make an impact, that’s a wonderful asset to have.”
Hoddle feels that there will be five or six clubs battling for the Premier League title this season, and is confident that Tottenham will be up amongst the challengers come May.
“I genuinely feel this year there are up to six teams that will be battling it out – this will be the most exciting Premier League for some time. It may well be that with six games to go there are three or four in contention for the title and Spurs can be one of those,” he added.
“If Ledley King can stay fit and [Michael] Dawson can get back quickly from his injury, that would be a huge boost.
“They’ve also got some good youngsters including Kyle Walker, there’s Gareth Bale coming back into form and [Emmanuel] Adebayor putting the ball in the net. It’s a lovely balance. They’ll be in the mix.”
The former England boss also hailed the performances of Spaniard David Silva, insisting the Manchester City playmaker is currently the best player in the English top-flight.
“David Silva is top of my list. The thing anyone wanting to make it a professional needs to remember is it’s about how you see a picture, and this lad sees it quicker than anyone else.
“He sees everyone on the pitch, and he’s got the ability with it to pick people out. You just can’t defend against that. He hurts the opposition with the ball and has really stood out for me.”
The 54-year-old also backed Chlesea boss Andre Villas-Boas, suggesting that whilst the pressure the Portuguese coach has faced at Stamford Bridge comes with the job, he expects the west London side to compete for honours this season.
He added: “Andre Villas-Boas is a young manager and though he’s had success in Portugal, it was very quick success and he’s gone to Chelsea straight away.
“Whoever comes in now is expected to pick the reins up quickly and provide instant success. It’s a bit unfair on the manager, but I’m sure he would have expected it going into the job so it won’t be a surprise.
“It’s now that he’s going to learn a lot about his management skills, over the next five or six games. Chelsea are still a very good side and I expect them to be in the hunt for trophies.”
Hoddle also praised striker Daniel Sturridge, suggesting that whilst the ex-Manchester City forward may not be ready in time for Euro 2012, he will be a major force for England in the future, along with the likes of Jack Wilshere and Kyle Walker.
“Over the coming years he could mature into a main striker, but not in the next six months in time for the Euros.
“The shape of the team has changed since the World Cup, which is to our advantage.
“But the cutting edge, people like Sturridge, I think he’s a smashing player, it’s great to have him in the squad and I would have had him in there some time earlier.
“There’s Jack Wilshere to come back, who’s a wonderful young midfielder; there’s Kyle Walker at right back, who will have an exciting battle with Glen Johnson to see who takes that position. We’ve got a very strong squad, and the long term is going to be bright for England.”
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