Actions Speak Louder Than Words

Again, it all comes down to astute business planning, no more exemplified by the construction of the training ground. “Back in 2012, we invested around £50m on the new training centre when other clubs would have spent that amount on a single player. If you are a club that cannot necessarily go out and spend £50m on one player, you have get the balance right in terms of players coming through the ranks.

“Take the Real Madrid home game at in the Champions League [memorably won 3-1 by Spurs]. We had Harry Kane and Harry Winks playing against a club we sold two of our best players to. That game was a snapshot, if you like, of how we as a club – and Daniel in particular – work so hard in trying to move things forward.”

It’s a philosophy, says Cullen, that will pay off even more handsomely once Tottenham have moved home and are able to attract and afford more top-class players whilst at the same time getting the best possible return from the investment in their academy.

“The new stadium will generate more income which in turn will cover the financial investment we are making. But as anyone at a football club will tell you, it’s not a perfect science. You can have substantial funds and still not get it right.”

Indeed. In fact, Tottenham could be accused of having fallen into the very trap Cullen alludes to when they spent much of the money they received for Gareth Bale on some rather questionable signings. The lessons have been learned but the goals remain the same, matched by the ambition.

“Everything we do is geared towards funding what happens on the pitch but Financial Fair Play has no impact on us at all as a business. That’s because we have been very pragmatic and creative and worked hard when it comes to player transfers. Thankfully, Daniel has found himself to be exceptional in this area.”

You can say that again.