A fiery Argentine defender in his playing days, Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino blew off a little steam when asked about Antonio Conte's recent comments about his side.

Chelsea manager Conte caused something of a stir earlier this week when talking about Spurs' progression as a club not being as vital as that of others, before labelling striker Harry Kane as his perfect forward.

Pochettino wasn't impressed with his rivals' words, taking the chance to address them on the eve of Tottenham's pre-season clash against Manchester City.

I show respect, says Poch

Stating that he respects the opinions of anyone who has something to say about his side, Pochettino went on to add; "My job is to be focused on my players and my team and try to work together with our board, our fans, everything that is involved with the club.

"I show respect. I’m not a manager who likes to speak about other clubs or managers or what happens in the corner."

Taking a swipe specifically at Conte by saying "I like to show respect (to rival clubs) but I expect the same from people who compete with us," Pochettino did admit that he raised a smile when seeing what the Italian had said, telling the press that he was puzzled as to why they had been made in the first place.

On the Kane comments, with Conte having said that if he could buy any striker it would be the Englishman, the Tottenham manager kept his cards close to his chest regarding his true feelings.

"I told you for me that Harry Kane is one of the best. I’m happy to hear from another manager who loves our striker," said Pochettino.

Spurs' pre-season schedule continues against Man City in Nashville on Saturday, with a 23:00 kick-off (UK time).

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