Pochettino would like to manage Tottenham again

Former Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino says he would like to return to the north London club one day.

The 53-year-old managed Spurs between 2014 and 2019, leading the club to a second-place finish in the Premier League in 2016, the 2015 EFL Cup final and the 2019 Champions League final.

He was sacked in November 2019 and then managed Paris St-Germain and Chelsea before being appointed United States coach in September.

"When I left the club I always remember one interview I said I would like one day to come back to Tottenham," the Argentine told Sky Sports., external

"I am in the USA, so I am not going to talk about that now - but what I said then I still, after six years or five years, feel in my heart. Yes, I would like one day to come back."

Pochettino says he retains a "very good relationship" with Daniel Levy despite being sacked by the Spurs chairman.

"It's true after nearly six years with all that we lived together, it was tough because of all the ups and downs and emotional things that we lived," he added.

"We split very well. One thing was professional, another personal and now, like the day after we left Tottenham, we always have a very, very good relationship."

Pochettino spent one season at Chelsea - helping them reach the EFL Cup final, the FA Cup semi-final and sixth place in the Premier League - before leaving by mutual consent last May.

"Always when something doesn't work it's better to stop and to look at different things and I think it was the best decision for both sides," he said.

"I think both sides were happy to split and then to be open to see different options, and different options appear."

After leaving Stamford Bridge, Pochettino was linked with the England job before Thomas Tuchel's appointment last autumn.

The former defender says the timing was not right for England but the chance to coach 2026 World Cup co-hosts the United States was too good to turn down.

"It's a privilege to be head coach of the England national team but the timings sometimes are not the same - in the moment you can be available, the option disappears," he said.

"Being the national coach of the USA with the World Cup in 2026, for a coaching staff like us after many years working in clubs, it was a great opportunity to challenge ourselves.

"When the offer arrived, it was easy to say 'yes'."