Robbie Keane believes Tottenham now have a squad that is good enough to start challenging the top four clubs.

Many expected Spurs to push for a UEFA Champions League place this season but, after making a poor start to the campaign, they found themselves out of the running.

However, with the Carling Cup final against Chelsea coming up on Sunday, Tottenham have the chance to win their first silverware since their 1999 League Cup victory, and Keane feels the team is now ready to compete with the best.

He told Sky Sports News: "I think with the squad of players now, we have to start achieving things now - if not this year, definitely the next couple of years and start challenging people like the Chelsea's, the Arsenals, the Man United's, the Liverpool's.

"We need to be up there and I believe the squad of players we have now is quite capable of doing that."

Tottenham showed their potential in the 6-2 aggregate win over Arsenal in the semi-finals of the competition but, although Keane feels it will help the squad, he knows that it will count for nothing against Chelsea.

"It gives us confidence, but that's gone now - that's the past - and we have to look now to Sunday's game.

"It's a completely different game, a completely different team with world-class players throughout the squad, so we know it's going to be a tough game.

"But with the squad of players we have now and the bond that we have here, on our day we're quite capable of beating anybody."