Paulinho has insisted that he is looking forward to the battle of securing a regular spot in the Tottenham Hotspur side this season.

The Brazilian returned to training slightly later than some of his Spurs teammates due to his participation at the World Cup earlier this summer, but he is refusing to hide away from the challenge of impressing new head coach Mauricio Pochettino.

"Most of the players have had a chance to play this summer and it shows that Tottenham is a big club because we have top players," Paulinho told the club's official website.

"You have to fight for your place and I'm looking forward to the challenge, but I think the most important thing now is to think about the first game."

Spurs begin their Premier League campaign against West Ham United on Saturday afternoon.