Tottenham's head of coaching and player development turns down Manchester United

Tottenham Hotspur are no stranger to "big" clubs attempting to poach their players. A club coming after one of the members of their coaching staff may be rarefied territory, however. John McDermott, Spurs' head of coaching and player development, has reportedly rejected an approach from Manchester United.

Louis van Gaal and the United brass are planning an major overhaul to their Academy and youth player strategy. McDermott, who has played a huge role in the Mauricio Pochettino era, is a desirable asset around the country. He is the main figure who saw Harry Kane, Ryan Mason, Tom Carroll, and all of the club's current young homegrown stars rise through the ranks.

McDermott has declined the approach from Manchester United and has elected to stay and continue his phenomenal work with the current Spurs leadership. This is great news for the club as there is more talent headed through the pipeline with a good chance of contributing to the first team sooner rather than later.

It has to be encouraging for everyone at Tottenham to see one of their prized staff members be coveted by one of the world's most prestigious clubs. Just as long as those approaches never come to fruition, of course.