Former Manchester United and England defender Gary Neville has claimed that Mauricio Pochettino has "transformed" Tottenham Hotspur since becoming manager.

Spurs are currently joint-top for outrunning their opponents in the Premier League this season and also boast the joint-best defensive record in the division.

Neville has said that the Argentine, who took charge at White Hart Lane in the summer of 2014, is trying to change Spurs for the better.

"I think what he's had to do in the last 12 to 18 months is knock the house down and try to rebuild it again," Neville told Sky Sports News. "If you look at what he's done, he's transformed the team and definitely got a better bunch of lads.

"With Tottenham, the average age is 23 which is the youngest in the league and he's not just transforming a team there, he's transforming a culture. It's a culture of being a bit flimsy. You'd never say they were the hardest-working team in the league. You'd say they're a bit weak and he's trying to transform that.

"Pochettino teams work damn hard and that's not something that Tottenham have always done. He had a bunch of players who had a poor work ethic, a poor attitude and didn't have a lot of care for the club. He's now got a bunch of players who have the core ingredients of what you need. Tottenham fans probably like their coach more and they like their players more."

Spurs currently sit in sixth place in the Premier League.