Pleats admits he feels sorry for Hoddle

Director of football Pleat has taken temporary charge while the hunt for a new boss gets under way, but would not be drawn on whether he wanted the job.

Spurs sack Hoddle

Pleat is likely to be in charge until chairman Daniel Levy returns from honeymoon, when he says there will be progress on Spurs' next move.

Meanwhile, Pleat admitted it was tough to see Hoddle go, despite claims the pair did not always see eye to eye.

Pleat suffered the indignity of being the first top-flight sacking of the season, at Sheffield Wednesday in 1997.

I am not thinking of me at the moment - it might have been different if I was 34 or 35 Spurs caretaker manager David Pleat

"I left Sheffield Wednesday after 12 games and I thought it was too early," Pleat said. "But there was a disappointment towards the end of last season and the decision has been made now.

"There is no right time, it is always difficult and you can always make a case either way.

"Sunday was a traumatic day for anyone involved in the decision. It is a horrible feeling that we all have experienced and if you know what it feels like you feel awful for that person."

He added: "At a club with such a huge turnover and such a public spotlight decisions are not taken lightly, they are thought through at great lengths and the board wanted to put forward the point that it was not a knee-jerk decision."

Pleat managed Spurs for one season in 1986/87 before losing the job, but was non-committal about his own ambitions.

He said: "I don't know exactly at this stage because I imagine that the world and his wife might apply or may not apply depending on how they view Tottenham Hotspur at the moment.

"I am sure there will be a lot of interest, debate and discussion.

"No-one should read anything into any personality or persons who are either talking about the job or suggesting they may be interested because we haven't had any discussions on a successor at this stage.

"I am not thinking of me at the moment. It might have been different if I was 34 or 35.

"I am only focusing on the immediate and to do as well as possible; as for what happens in the future I have not got an intention at this stage of anything other than hopefully staying fit, keeping well and working with the players.

"So many things happen, it may be that Sven-Goran Eriksson comes knocking or anyone and they want to take him straight away. Anything can happen. Can anyone see the future?"