Southampton manager Glenn Hoddle is in talks with Tottenham as the White Hart Lane club seek a successor to sacked boss George Graham. Tottenham have revealed they have been given permission to talk to Hoddle by Southampton. Former Spurs star Hoddle took charge of the Saints last year and has led them to a position of Premiership respectability.
Hoddle has been the bookmakers' favourite for the Spurs job after Graham's sacking on March 16. Other names linked included Gianluca Vialli, Kevin Keegan and Terry Venables. But his success in guiding Southampton away from their seemingly perennial battle against relegation was always likely to make him top of the White Hart Lane wish-list. But the club also said that Hoddle was not the only candidate they have spoken to, with reports in Holland claiming Ruud Gullit has also spoken to the Spurs board.
Hoddle is believed to have an escape clause in his contract at The Dell, allowing him to leave at any time if an interested party paid the Saints £800,000. Hoddle scored 110 goals in 494 appearances for Spurs between 1975 and 1987, guiding them to FA Cup glory in 1981 and 1982.
Filed by Pat Nugent
