Toby Alderweireld is eyeing the biggest prize in club football.
And the Belgium defender says his Spurs side will have respect, but not fear when they take on quadruple-chasing Manchester City.
The two English rivals face off in the Champions League quarter finals with the Londoners hosting the first leg at their new Tottenham Hotspur stadium.
For Alderweireld, the competition matters even more.
With a £25 million release clause to leave in the summer and linked with Manchester United, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain, a first trophy with Spurs could be a fitting way to end his four-year spell with the club.
“This is the biggest club competition in the world, all the champions of the countries come together,” he told Sport360 exclusively. “It is the biggest achievement you can get.
“We have a chance of course. Of course City are a very good team, have a lot of quality, but on our day we can beat any team. We have to be top [of our form] to get a result, but we are going to do our best.
“It’s going to be a game of high quality, high tempo, but one we look forward to.
“City just play very well, can’t say too much about them because everyone knows how good they are, with the squad they have.”
Alderweireld knows some of the City squad better than most with international team-mates Kevin De Bruyne and Vincent Kompany in the opposition ranks.
But Spurs are blessed with quality too and the recent display at Premier League leaders Liverpool offers the 30-year-old hope, despite a 2-1 loss through his last-minute own goal.
Keeper Hugo Lloris fumbled a Mohamed Salah header against the unlucky Alderweireld to gift the Reds a winner after Spurs had dominated the second half and had chances to win themselves.
“In one of the toughest games away, we showed we can play well, defend and create chances,” added the centre-back, who was also part of the Atletico Madrid squad that lost the 2014 Champions League final to Real Madrid.
“I think we defended very well, played very well. They put us under pressure in the lines, but it was hard to take this defeat.
“Especially in the second half we had our chances to kill the game, win it, and we were unlucky to lose at the end.
“I think what we showed in the second half, we have to take this to the game with City. I’m confident, especially how we played in the game with Liverpool. It gives us belief.
“It will be a special night at the new stadium. I know Kevin and Vinny very well of course and they have a lot of quality. I wish them the best, but we want to win.”
