After spending more than ten years as a Tottenham player, Justin Edinburgh has been speaking ahead of club’s EFL Cup game against Premiership giants, which will see the Gills boss return to White Hart Lane for the very first time as a manager.

“I’m looking forward to it immensely – having spent a decade of my playing career at White Hart Lane, there are some fantastic memories; the place has played a big part in my life and my families lives.  It’ll be a special day for all of us,”

Edinburgh admitted.  “I couldn’t have personally asked for a better draw – when it came out there were some big cheers in my house – it really will be a special moment for me myself as well as some of the players who have connections with Tottenham but I couldn’t have picked a better draw.”

“I wanted to become a League manager, and once there was a realistic opportunity of me drawing Spurs in a Cup it was obviously another thing on my wish list – one that I can now cross off!”

The tie could of course be the last League Cup tie played at the famous stadium as Spurs are due to move to a new ground nearby – a fact that wasn’t lost on the Gills boss.

“At the end of the game my focus will be on the team and if we’ve given a good account of ourselves and that we haven’t let ourselves down or been embarrassed, but I will allow myself a thought that I’ve put my team up against one of the best managers in the country who has turned Spurs into the team that should be challenging for honours.”

The tie is a sell-out – please don’t travel if you don’t have a ticket – is Edinburgh at all concerned about the pressure that that will put on his side?  The answer apparently is no!

“There won’t be any pressure on us playing in front of a full-house – I think the players will embrace it.  They’re fully aware of what’s going to be involved; there’s nothing to fear and that’s got to be our approach.  We went to Watford – albeit not such a big crowd – in similar circumstances; another Premiership side in a fantastic stadium.”

“We went there, whilst the result was brilliant for everyone at the football club, the manner in whch we achieved it was great and so pleasing.  Now whether we can replicate that sort of performance that night at Watford is what we’ll have to wait and see.  We’ve beaten a Premiership side, so this group knows what its like to do it.”

“They’ve overcome the odds once – we all know it’s an enormous task to do it again and even be thinking about going there and beating a club that last week played in the Champions League is something in itself.  But we know that upsets happen in a one off game so why can’t we do it?”

“If they can find the level of performances they did that night at Watford, and if we can get the balance right and we can stay in the game as it’s likely that we won’t see the ball for long periods, then the belief will there because we know that we have achieved the upset before!  Our concentration levels have to be at an all-time high as we all know what will happen if we switch off against opposition who are of the standard of the Premiership…”

Whilst Gills were losing at Port Vale at the weekend, Spurs were beating Sunderland on “live” TV – but the Gills boss admitted that watching that game may not have been of much help predicting what side Mauricio Pochettino will start with.

“It was a real challenge in the last round as I think Watford made ten changes on the night and some of the players were new to the English game.  We tried to do as much research as we can on all players but it’s not so easy, but that is as big a challenge as any I suppose to try and predict what line up we’ll be facing.”

“But on the flip side, it could give an opportunity to those players who haven’t been playing at a competitive level week in and week out since the start of the season.”

Edinburgh then spoke about his fondness of midweek games when he was a player.  “I always really enjoyed night games at the Lane especially in the latter stages of the Cups – I was involved in some Quarter and Semi Finals of competitions that had some really terrific atmospheres, and I’m just hoping that’ll be the same this time,” the Gills boss remembered.

“I hope that the special atmosphere will get through to the pitch and it brings the very best out of the players.  The special atmosphere of night games I think generates from the fans – there just seems to be a different buzz.  I don’t know if it’s because the dew on the grass or the game’s a little bit quicker, but there’s always a better atmosphere and I don’t think anyone has any idea why.”

“It will of course be a huge shock and of course it can be done.  When I played for Spurs we went to Notts County – I think it was the Third Round again – and we got beaten 2-0 under Ossie Ardiles and off the back of that Ossie lost his job.  For us to pull off the upset every player – all fourteen of them, if I make three changes – has to get a ten out of ten rating which is possible, but we know it’s a tough task but there’s no point going to “just” make the numbers up.”

“We want to try and progress.  Whether we can do that,” the Gills boss concluded shrugging his shoulders, “that will be our mind-set.  We’re going there because we believe we can cause an upset – we know that it’s going to be a monumental challenge but we’re more than capable.”