Mauricio Pochettino believes he can be Tottenham’s Sir Alex Ferguson
Mauricio Pochettino believes he can be Tottenham's Sir Alex Ferguson with plans to build Spurs into a force in English football.
Pochettino has struck a verbal agreement over a two-year extension to his current deal, which will keep him at White Hart Lane until 2021.
The Argentinian has nurtured a talented young squad this season and, although the Lilywhites are unlikley to win the Premier League this season, the future looks bright for the North London club.
His team have a long way to go to build endured success, which is what Ferguson enjoyed at Manchester United, but Pochettino has a belief that he is on the right track.
"Why not? Sir Alex Ferguson is a very special person," the head coach said.
"He was given the security to build his legacy at Manchester United. I believe we are special too and we can build it here together.
"This club is special. I feel the love from the beginning, from the very first day. I am very happy to be here to hopefully achieve big things.
"I think the potential is fantastic, with the new stadium. I think the club is coming to a very tough period because we are building a new stadium and we may focus sometimes on that, but at the same time it is very exciting."
Pochettino has steered Spurs to second place in the top flight, and his impressive work has brought him a number of admirers.
United and Chelsea had both reportedly considered Pochettino for their top jobs next term, but the 44-year-old said it was an easy decision to stay put.
"We started to speak before, a few months ago, and today I think is a good moment to communicate we have reached the verbal agreement," Pochettino said on Friday.
"I am very happy. I wanted to stay for many reasons. Tottenham have unbelievable potential. We created after two years here a great group of players.
"We have a very strong squad, young, with potential to be a top team. The staff and the supporters are unbelievable, there is massive potential, why not stay here?"