The 43-year-old talked up the quality of his young midfielders ahead of their clash with Fiorentina in the Europa League on Thursday
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino feels his side has England's central-midfield pairing for years to come in the shape of Dele Alli and Eric Dier.
The 43-year-old has filled his first team with a host of youthful stars, with his view being that the likes of Alli and Dier are a perfect representation of the club's tradition.
And Dier, who has transitioned from defender to a central midfield role under the Argentine coach, has won praise from Pochettino - alongside team-mate Alli.
He told Gazzetta dello Sport of Dier: "On the first day of training I asked him to try it out.
"He was convinced it would work out and it has. England’s midfield is set thanks to the pairing of Dier and Alli.
"It [our young squad] is something that speaks to the history of this club and the English culture.
"We have put a long-term project in place, but the presence of some players over the age of 25 balances things out.
"Being young is not enough if you don't work hard in training. Running and having 90 minutes in your legs is the logical consequence of the work that is put in during the week."
The former Southampton boss also revealed Alli first caught his eye after her was shown clips of the youngster against Premier League opponents, Manchester United.
He added: "In August 2014 a scout showed me footage from MK Dons v Manchester United.
"Alli played a great match and we started tracking him, until we finally signed him."
Spurs face Fiorentina in the second leg of their Europa League last-32 tie at White Hart Lane on Thursday and are also in the race to win the Premier League, sitting second in the table.
- Goal