Thursday 28 April 2016 16:09, UK
Roberto Soldado believes part of Tottenham's success this season is down to the inconsistency of Manchester United and Chelsea.
A 1-1 draw with West Brom on Monday has left second-placed Tottenham seven points behind league leaders Leicester City, and Soldado has suggested his former side have been helped by the poor seasons of Chelsea and United.
Soldado arrived from Valencia in a big-money move in 2013 but struggled to adapt to life in the Premier League and eventually returned to Spain last summer.
The 30-year-old has been revitalised since joining Villarreal and suggested that a combination of a more measured transfer policy and rival clubs' inconsistent form has contributed to Spurs' own rejuvenation.
"They've benefited from Chelsea and Manchester United's inconsistency but what they've done is fantastic," Soldado told The Guardian. "After Gareth Bale was sold, Spurs invested in a lot of players - I think eight arrived the summer I signed.
"This year there were fewer signings and they've benefited from that. The period of adaptation has passed and they've been left with a very solid team."
Chelsea have put in a disappointing defence of their title this season and are currently ninth in the table, while United are in danger of missing out on a Champions League spot, sitting in fifth with three games left to play.
Soldado played alongside Harry Kane during the Englishman's breakthrough season as the Tottenham striker's 21 goals last campaign fired him to the front of the forwards' queue at White Hart Lane.
The 22-year-old has repeated the trick this season with a further 24 strikes and Soldado revealed that Kane's potential was clear for all to see while he was still at White Hart Lane, but admitted he would never have predicted the rise of Dele Alli or Leicester City.
"I used to watch Harry Kane train," he said. "You'd think: 'What he lacks will come'; his finishing stood out.
"Every chance ended in the net last season and this year that's been multiplied by two. Maybe some people didn't see it coming, but he deserves it.
"He has a fantastic attitude, humble. You look at Dele Alli and, the truth is, we've all been surprised, coming from the lower divisions to play so well."
Leicester have gone from relegation contenders to within three points of their first ever top-flight title in the space of a single season and Soldado says the Foxes have become an inspiration for every club across Europe.
"You don't imagine things like this until they happen," he said. "Leicester are an example for any club: a small club, certainly in budget, that were in the Championship recently and now have the league within touching distance: it's every team's dream, proof that with hard work, sacrifice and solidarity, with all the values a team should have, game after game, all season long, you can do it."
Soldado returns to England to face Liverpool at Anfield in the second leg of Villarreal's Europa League semi-final against the Reds on May 5 with Jurgen Klopp's side in Spain ahead of the first leg on Thursday night.
