France captain Hugo Lloris is one of 13 current or former Tottenham players still in the World Cup. Photo / AP
Much of the Premier League returned for the start of pre-season training last week but you could almost forgive Mauricio Pochettino for giving his Tottenham squad the rest of July off.
As of now, the number of his players still involved at this late stage of the World Cup across
three squads totalled nine. He even had two potential national captains in Hugo Lloris and Harry Kane in contention to lift the trophy.
From Nacer Chadli and Luka Modric to Kyle Walker and Vedran Corluka, there were also plenty of others who have passed through White Hart Lane in recent years.
Not all were personally coached and improved by Pochettino but most were and it begs the question: Is the most influential coach at this World Cup not Gareth Southgate, Didier Deschamps, or Roberto Martinez, but perhaps Pochettino?
With Tottenham's move to a new stadium looming this year - and both Pochettino and Kane signing new contracts - it has been another wonderful advertisement for the club. Any young player searching for an environment that might maximise their talent should be taking note.
