SPURRED ON BY TROPHY QUEST

Conte: I’ve won things in the past but only the present matters now... I have to prove myself over again

ANTONIO CONTE is fired up by his Tottenham project – and believes it is a chance to show how good a boss he is AGAIN.

The Italian has proved a serial winner with successful stints at Juventus, Chelsea and Inter Milan.

Manchester United are now trying to prise ex-spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino away from Paris Saintgermain when they could have taken Conte as a free agent weeks ago.

And you get the sense he would love to make his point by beating the club that snubbed him to a topfour place by the end of this season.

The Europa Conference League clash with Slovenians Mura will act as a chance to further improve the fitness of his Tottenham stars in a bid to get them punching their weight at the business end of the campaign.

“The past is behind me,” Conte said. “The most important thing is now the present. I’ve won trophies in the past and this is important, but now in the present you put yourself in a different situation. “You have to prove yourself again – to be competitive, to be ready to fight in this new situation, in this case with Tottenham. To try to build something important. To win, to lift a trophy. “I know this isn’t simple. But my staff and I want to try to do something important with Tottenham. To win, lift trophies together, This must

be our target – to build together. If you ask me how much time we need it is very difficult for me to say. But in our mind and our hearts this must be our aspiration.”

Conte also maintained he is not hankering after the easy option of the January transfer window.

Instead he will look to instil discipline and organisation into a Spurs defence notorious for shooting itself in the foot.

“In this moment we have to be focused to work very hard, to improve,” he added.

“I don’t see another way to reach our target. There is only this way. To work hard, to create the right atmosphere. To be solid in character and to be ready to suffer.

“There is a good mentality here. I have found a group of players who want to work.

“I can arrive at any club wanting to bring in my methods and my ideas but if you don’t have the ability of the players it’s impossible.

“But I have seen positive things at Tottenham, I have felt a good vibe. I feel this is a good place to start.” PROBABLE SPURS LINE-UP Lloris, Royal, Sanchez, Dier, Davies, Reguilon, Hojbjerg, Winks, Son, Moura, Kane