Bitterness will not spur on Hughton

Mar 29 2008 by Luke Edwards, The Journal

CHRIS Hughton has claimed he will not be bitter on his return to Spurs tomorrow as Newcastle’s first-team coach, but he will be desperate to take three points off them.

Hughton was sacked as assistant manager at Spurs after almost three decades of service to the north London club when manager Martin Jol was removed from office back in October.

The former full-back, who spent 13 years at White Hart Lane as a player before working under eight different managers as a coach, has denied there is any simmering resentment at his treatment.

He said: “Yes, it was difficult to leave but I still left on good terms with the chairman, Daniel Levy.

“When you have spent so many years at a workplace, especially as we’d had two good seasons before – two fifth-place finishes under Martin Jol – it’s always difficult. But you have to look forward in football and people ask me if I have any bitterness towards the club, but the fact that I’d been there so long and I knew some time I would go, it means you’re half-prepared.

“I was there as a professional for 13 years and for a good few years before that as a schoolboy, and 14 seasons as a coach. I worked under eight different managers, changes of chairmen, I had some very good times and some troubled times. I’ve experienced a fair amount.

“All that matters to me now is Newcastle United. I’ll certainly be focused enough not to go into the wrong dressing room. As a player you always look forward to going back to your old stomping ground and as a player I wasn’t able to do that.

“As a coach what you want to do, of course, is get a good result – that would make the day a far better day.”

Hughton’s arrival as Nigel Pearson’s replacement as first-team coach led to reports the former Republic of Ireland international had been brought in above manager Kevin Keegan’s head because of owner Mike Ashley’s strong Tottenham connections.

Ashley’s friendship with former Spurs director Paul Kelmsley has led to speculation the latter has a major influence on matters behind the scenes at St James’s Park, influence which has led to the arrival of Dennis Wise as executive director of football and Tony Jimenez as the new head of player recruitment.

But, following strong denials from chairman Chris Mort and Keegan that Kelmsley was anything to do with his arrival, Hughton was happy to clear the matter up once and for all. He said: “I got a phone call from Kevin. Obviously I knew Kevin from the circuit over the years, he was somebody I’d obviously spoken to. Simply a phone call from Kevin, would I like to come up and assist with the team and the answer was yes instantly.

“Why I’m here you’ll have to ask Kevin, but because I’d had a long association with Tottenham and worked with a first team of their stature, I would say that had a fair bearing on why Kevin wanted to bring me in.

“Yes I know Paul Kelmsley well from Spurs but I can honestly say the only contact I had was the phone call from Kevin. I spoke to him midweek and within four days, I was up here.”