Soccer: Nelsen in Spurs squad to face Liverpool

Ryan Nelsen. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Ryan Nelsen has often excelled wearing a white shirt and he hopes it will be the same as he eyes a possible Spurs debut against Liverpool at Anfield on Tuesday morning (NZT).

Nelsen's free transfer from Blackburn Rovers to Tottenham was confirmed overnight and Spurs assistant manager Kevin Bond revealed the All Whites skipper would be in the squad for the crucial Premier League match against Liverpool.

"He is fit and eligible to play on Monday,' Bond told reporters. "I've just had a cup of tea with him in the canteen. He is looking forward to the challenge.''

Nelsen hasn't played a Premier League game since Blackburn's 3-1 defeat to Aston Villa on August 20 as he battled to overcome a troublesome knee injury. He even sought the advice of All Blacks medical staff to gain another opinion.

But he played in a reserve game against Huddersfield on Tuesday, under the watchful gaze of Spurs staff, prior to Blackburn cancelling his contract. Nelsen had been lining up a return to become a player-coach at DC United, the club he played for in the MLS, before Spurs made their late bid.

"He was going to go back to America,'' Blackburn manager Steve Kean said. "He had an offer to go back there and be a player-coach.

"He was very excited about it and then, at the last minute, Tottenham came in and offered him a short-term until the end of the season. He was a fabulous servant to the club.''

Nelsen has signed a six-month deal with Spurs with an option for another year. It was the prospect of playing for a top-four side that attracted him the most.

"Medals, trophies are things you strive for,'' he told TV3. "Blackburn got to five semis in my time and never made a final, so it's very exciting.''

He's bound to get game time as Spurs, currently third on the Premier League table, attempt to keep pace with the two Manchesters (City and United) and they also have a great chance to progress further in the FA Cup after being drawn against League One outfit Stevenage in the fifth round.

But he wants to force his way into the starting side and knows he has a challenge on his hands with Michael Dawson, Ledley King and Younes Kaboul, as well as the injured William Gallas, on Spurs' books.

"I kind of like when the odds are stacked against you, so we'll see,'' he said. "We'll get out there and give it everything.

"It feels like you're going back to the first day of school, so yeah, everyone will be looking at you and judging you so I better clean my boots and comb my hair... it'll be fun.''