Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino says Christian Eriksen is “a complete player” who suits his desired style of play perfectly.

Spurs’ head coach declined to comment on rumours that Eriksen is in talks over a new contract, but he lavished praise on the Danish playmaker, who has contributed eight goals and 10 assists in all competitions this campaign.

“For me, Christian Eriksen is having a very good season,” said the head coach. “We started the pre-season in July so I think it’s been eight or nine months and, for an international player like Christian, to keep the level in every game and the creative play is not easy.

“I’m very happy with him and very pleased with his performance so far – and the way he behaves, for me he’s a top player and a top man too.

“Me for, he’s a player where you cannot put him in a position and say ‘don’t move’. You need to give him some freedom because he’s a player that needs to run, that needs to be involved in the game, and he always has a lot of quality.

“One of the skills he has is always to help the team in possession, to give all the players good support and manage the ball.

“He’s a very creative player – he can give the last pass, can shoot, can score from free kicks. I think he’s a complete player and he’s a player I like that I think fits with my philosophy.”

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