Tim Sherwood has said that he feels "grateful" to Tottenham Hotspur's board for appointing him as the club's new head coach despite his lack of managerial experience.
A host of high-profile candidates, including Louis Van Gaal, Frank De Boer, and Guus Hiddink, were linked with the position in the wake of Andre Villas-Boas's sacking earlier this month.
However, it was Sherwood that got the nod after being promoted from technical co-ordinator and coach of the club's Under-21s side.
Sherwood was appointed on an 18-month contract and, when asked whether the deal showed the board's faith in him, he told reporters: "Yes, and I congratulate them for it. The length of the contract wasn't a deal breaker, it was the offer that came and I was pleased to accept it.
"I am not sure how many applicants they got but I'm sure it wasn't just a couple, there would have been quite a few I would suggest. Those managers would be available now. They are bigger names and more experienced names than Tim Sherwood in management. The board made their decision and I am grateful for that.
"I was as honest as I can be [with chairman Daniel Levy]. I never went in there and thought 'what does he want to hear as I'm going to tell him it'. It was the fact that this is the way I see the game going forward. If he likes it he will give me the job and if he doesn't then he won't."
Sherwood will be hoping to mastermind his first home win as Spurs boss when his side face Stoke City at White Hart Lane on Sunday afternoon.
Robert Summerscales
