Mauricio Pochettino has challenged DeAndre Yedlin to prove he is ready to be a Premier League player after the USA international joined up with the Tottenham squad in Denver.

The 22-year-old right-back agreed a transfer from MLS outfit Seattle Sounders to Spurs last summer and then made the move to White Hart Lane in January, but only made one brief substitute appearance in the second half of the season.

He has been on international duty at the Gold Cup this summer but, after the USA’s semi-final defeat against Jamaica and subsequent loss to Panama in the third-place play-off, he has linked up with the Spurs squad which will face an MLS All-Star team in the early hours of Thursday morning (UK time).

Speaking at a pre-match press conference last night, Pochettino was asked whether Yedlin is likely to be part of the Lilywhites’ squad for the coming season, or whether he could be loaned out.

The head coach replied: “I think DeAndre is very young, he has very good potential for the future. He joined us in the middle of last season and I think he has an opportunity now to show his value and try to convince me to stay next season.

“It’s like other players, he has the same opportunity to show his quality and maybe, why not, stay in the squad for the next season to compete in the Premier League.”

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