Tim Sherwood offers new Tottenham boss advice on Nabil Bentaleb

Tim Sherwood has urged Mauricio Pochettino to use Nabil Bentaleb as a box-to-box midfielder for Tottenham next season.

Sherwood gave Bentaleb his Spurs debut last season and he went on to make 20 appearances in all competitions for the north London club.

Bentaleb, 19, played every minute of Algeria’s World Cup group-stage campaign as they progressed to the last 16 in Brazil, before being knocked out by Germany on Monday.

And Sherwood feels that the midfielder is likely to develop into a top-class player at White Hart Lane.

“Nabil is not afraid of anyone,” Sherwood told the Independent. “He is perfect for the way that Algeria play, with a pressing game.

“I tended to use him in a more defensive role, mainly because I knew I could trust him to do what I asked. But in his development at Spurs, he has always been a box-to-box midfielder and he has always scored goals in the junior age groups.

“He still needs to develop and is not the finished article yet, but in the future he could be that sort of goal-scoring midfielder.

“If Mauricio Pochettino is looking for that sort of player, then Nabil is perfect. He has to play regularly, though, if his development is to continue.”