Jan Vertonghen pays respect to Sheffield United

Tottenham Hotspur defender Jan Vertonghen has said that it was important his side did not concede a goal in the first leg of their League Cup semi-final against Sheffield United.

A penalty from Andros Townsend gave Spurs a 1-0 victory over their League One opponents, which has put them in a strong position ahead of next week's second leg.

"We wanted to keep a clean sheet and score a couple of goals, but one was not too bad," he told Sky Sports News.

"The clean sheet is very important. Sheffield United are a good team and I have much respect for them."

Spurs have now won their last three matches in all competitions.