Tottenham Hotspur icon Tim Sherwood branded his former boss Glenn Hoddle arrogant shortly after leaving the club. The Premier League winner joined Portsmouth in 2003 before the midfielder ended his playing days at Coventry City, who face a struggling Spurs side on Monday. Sherwood spent four years with Tottenham, clocking up 118 appearances, but found himself frozen out during the 2002/03 campaign. Spurs had appointed the ex-England boss in March 2001, with Sherwood battling his way back into the team as the club reached the 2002 League Cup final. However, he did not feature once the following season before leaving for Portsmouth in January 2003. The decision not to renew Tottenham legend Teddy Sheringham’s contract appeared to be the last straw for Sherwood, who issued a scathing assessment of his time working with Hoddle.

The midfielder claimed he had received warnings from some of Hoddle’s former players after he was named Spurs boss. “They all said there was a certain arrogance about him and they were not wrong on that score,” Sherwood told The Sun in May 2003. “His biggest fault is he has absolutely no man-management skills.

“Yet if anyone ever tried to tell him they didn't understand, he would just give you one of those looks that said 'You must be really thick'. He made everything so complicated for no apparent reason, when all he needed to do was get everyone fit, get a proper team spirit and work out a system we understood and were comfortable with.”

Meanwhile, Sherwood instantly helped Pompey reach the top flight for the first time in their history under Harry Redknapp. He subsequently made 13 Premier League appearances before suffering a broken leg against Spurs on Boxing Day. However, Portsmouth benefitted from Hoddle’s earlier decision to release Sheringham as the veteran striker’s nine league goals helped the team to a 13th-placed finish.