A MEMBER of Spurs’ 1961 double-winning team believes that Harry Redknapp’s Tottenham are mirroring aspects of Bill Nicholson’s legendary outfit – and is backing the current crop of Lilywhites to upset Real Madrid tomorrow night.

Terry Dyson made 184 appearances for Spurs between 1955 and 1965, having arrived at White Hart Lane from Scarborough.

The winger won the League and FA Cup double in 1961, before adding a European Cup Winners’ Cup medal two years later. He also has a place in Tottenham’s record books as the only Spurs player in history to score a hat-trick against Arsenal, having netted a treble in a 4-3 win over the Gunners on August 26, 1961.

Fifty years on, Dyson is full of praise and admiration for Redknapp, and likens aspects of the current side with his former team-mates and manager.

“I think Spurs have been absolutely fantastic over the last few seasons and, frankly, Harry Redknapp deserves a medal for what he has achieved with the side,” he said.

“Bill Nicholson would have loved to have seen what this manager is doing and the way he is trying to achieve things. Redknapp’s mentality is to go out and have a go at teams and that’s exactly how we were in the sixties under Bill.

“We didn’t get overly concerned about the opposition because we knew we had the quality to beat them and I think that’s the message Redknapp is delivering to his players too. With wingers like Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon, Tottenham are always going to get chances, so they are absolutely playing to their strengths by going out and attacking teams.”

That philosophy has taken Spurs into the quarter-finals of the Champions League. And Dyson, who scored two goals in the 5-1 win over Atletico Madrid in the 1963 European Cup Winners Cup Final, feels that Tottenham are capable of overcoming the other team in Madrid.

“I have a good feeling about this tie for Tottenham,” he said. “Of course Real Madrid are very good opposition, but I think there have been better Madrid teams through the years. I think back to the mid-1950s and early 1960s and they were pretty much unstoppable. I wouldn’t put them in the same class today.

“The main thing is that Spurs will be prepared to have a go against them. They will show respect, but not too much respect. The way Tottenham play can hurt teams and Real Madrid won’t have come up against a team like Spurs so far in the Champions League.

“As much as the Spanish are favourites, they are in for one hell of a game and I can definitely see an upset happening.”