Tottenham director Paul Barber says the club is ready to capitalise on Martin Jol's improving team.

He told the Observer: "Our shirt sponsorship was the seventh largest in football, and the kit deal was also very big, a record for the club. Certainly we're punching our weight not just in the UK, but across Europe.

"Independent research across the world has shown that we have almost five million fans, and about one-and-a-half million in the UK. At the moment the membership scheme includes about 100,000 and we have sold out all our season tickets with another 10,000 on the waiting list. You can see the potential.

"Under Daniel Levy's leadership we've been stable for many years and made huge progress on and off the field. We're a young board, not afraid of change; we have adopted new systems, new strategies. And there's a young English spine to the team and that's been the backbone of recent success."