7 Players You Forgot Played Under Mauricio Pochettino

With Mauricio Pochettino's rather long gardening leave from Tottenham now over, he is free to reflect on his time in north London and also to accept a new challenge in football management.

Looking back over his previous three stints in management with Spurs, Southampton and Espanyol, he has worked with some of the very best in European football but are some names you might not associate with playing for a Pochettino side; but definitely did.

Philippe Coutinho

How many of you knew Coutinho played under Pochettino? Well done if you did because it was all but very brief. The Brazilian playmaker was struggling to get a game at Inter in 2012 so moved to Barcelona's second club for a brief loan spell.

The move worked wonders, as he sealed a move to Liverpool off the back of it. As we well know, it hasn't gone that well for Coutinho since his return to Catalonia and he is even rumoured to be destined for a reunion with his former manager if Poch does end up as the boss on Tyneside.

Jose Callejón

Callejón is a player that often slips under the radar as far as European wingers go but he is still turning out top performances for Napoli at the age of 33.

The versatile Spanish forward made his name at Espanyol and had a standout season under Pochettino's watchful eye in 2010/11. A move to Real Madrid followed, where he played a key role on the right in a league title winning side, under current Spurs boss Mourinho.

Walter Pandiani

A regular in La Liga for many years, Walter Pandiani spent two spells at Espanyol; the second of which was a single season under Mauricio Pochettino.

The Uruguayan who amassed 82 goals in 279 games in La Liga for five different teams, played a supporting role as Espanyol struggled to match their eighth place finish the season before.

Steve Finnan

I bet you didn't guess this one. Liverpool's long-serving right back from the Benitez era moved to Espanyol on a two year deal in the summer of 2008 but injuries cut short his playing time in Spain and he played just four times for the club.

However, one of those times was after Espanyol had appointed Pochettino. As such, the Irish Champions League winner sneaks in to our list.

Pau Lopez

This is not quite in the same bracket, because current Roma goalkeeper Pau Lopez actually never played for Tottenham under Pochettino in a competitive match.

Signed on loan from Pochettino's former club Espanyol in 2016, Lopez spent the entire season in the reserves as third choice stopper and then returned to reclaim the starting berth at his old club. It's all quite baffling, to say the least.

DeAndre Yedlin

Speedy American full back Yedlin, despite being usually associated with Newcastle, actually started his Premier League at the old White Hart Lane under Pochettino.

Joining from Seattle Sounders in January 2015, Yedlin played just once for Spurs mainly due to form of Kyle Walker and departed at the end of his first season in England.

Nenê

Journeyman Nenê spent a solitary season at Espanyol in 2008/09 when he joined on loan from Monaco. Pochettino took over the side later that season and the Brazilian played a key role in ensuring the side were not relegated.

The playmaker went on to enjoy success at Paris Saint Germain where he won a Ligue 1 title in 2013.