Tuesday 30 April 2019 18:46, UK
Harry Redknapp believes it could be 'Tottenham's year' as his former club prepare to face Ajax in their first ever Champions League semi-final.
Spurs take on the Dutch side at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the first leg on Tuesday, with a place against Liverpool or Barcelona in the final in Madrid on the line.
Their previous best effort in the Champions League came when Redknapp led them to the quarter-finals in 2011, and the 72-year-old believes Mauricio Pochettino can lead them all the way.
Asked if he believes it could be Tottenham's year, he told Sky Sports News: "Yes I do. I saw the qualifying [group] games and you thought they weren't going to get out the group stage. They lost the first couple and they were struggling.
"But suddenly things fell their way - the late goal in Barcelona - and now they've got a great chance. It's wide open and it's difficult to pick a winner, but Spurs have got as a big a chance as anybody."
Spurs beat Manchester City 1-0 at home in the first leg of their quarter-final before going on to dramatically eliminate their fellow English side on away goals.
Redknapp says Spurs would be happy with a repeat result on Tuesday, saying: "I think you'd take 1-0. No away goal for Ajax and then you can go back there knowing a draw would do Tottenham.
"You always take a clean sheet as a starting point. I think they'll start on the front foot, Tottenham, get after Ajax tonight and really put this young team to the test."
Ajax have stunned the likes of Real Madrid and Juventus on their way to becoming the first Dutch side since PSV in 2005 to reach the Champions League semi-finals, and Redknapp has welcomed their success.
He said: "To be fair to Ajax, they've surprised everybody. No-one saw them going to Madrid or Juventus and picking up results. It's an amazing run they've been on.
"To be honest, it's great to see Dutch football coming out the doldrums and producing great young players. A few years ago there was a conveyor belt of tremendous stars coming from Holland.
"If you look at Tottenham's team, they've got three or four ex-Ajax players on their books."
Harry Redknapp was speaking at a golf day in support of the John Hartson Foundation, which aims to raise awareness and funds to tackle testicular cancer
