Tottenham defender Jan Vertonghen believes team-mate Christian Eriksen can become one of the Premier League's best playmakers and go down in Tottenham folklore.
The 22-year-old Denmark international arrived at White Hart Lane in the summer of 2013 among the flurry of transfer dealings in the wake of Gareth Bale's record-breaking move to Real Madrid.
Eriksen has so far proved the pick of the bunch and, after a slow start to this campaign, is beginning to show his potential once more, impressing in Wednesday's Capital One Cup quarter-final against Newcastle.
With three goals in his last six matches, the midfielder pulled the strings again as Spurs triumphed 4-0, earning a semi-final clash with League One Sheffield United as well as the praise of former Ajax team-mate Vertonghen.
"As a playmaker, I think he can be one of the best in the Premier League," the defender said.
"I've played with him since he was 16 or 17, so probably for six or seven years now. He's improving every season.
"In the end of his Ajax days, I think they were a bit critical because his stats weren't as good as they should be, they said, but I think he shows now that he can score and get assists as well - and he's a very hard worker.
"He's in first [for training] and he's on the pitch until the last minute and I'm a big fan of his and I'm happy I convinced him to come here.
"We had good contact when he was still at Ajax and we always kept in touch.
"They [Tottenham] obviously asked me what I thought of him and I was very positive, and I think I did my job to convince him to come here."
Eriksen's impressive performances for Spurs have seen him become a firm fan favourite at a club synonymous with style.
Glenn Hoddle and Paul Gascoigne have wowed the fans in previous years, and Vertonghen believes Eriksen will soon be placed alongside modern greats such as Luka Modric and Rafael van der Vaart.
"He can reach their level, 100 per cent," the Belgium international said.
"I know Luka and Rafael better as they're playing in my era, but I know the reputation of Hoddle and Gascoigne and I think Christian can be one of the better players Spurs have ever had."
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