ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE:After the influx of former Tottenham players to Wearside, a number of the Sunderland line-up have something to prove, writes Louise Taylor

FOR MOST young boys growing up in Cork during the 1970s and 1980s the choice was straightforward; you either supported Liverpool, Manchester United or Celtic. Always averse to convention, Roy Keane decided to be different and duly adopted Tottenham Hotspur as his team.

Although not really one for hero worship, Sunderland's manager was, for a time, deeply taken with Glenn Hoddle and this week admitted: "I've got a soft spot for Spurs; I like the way they play football and the attacking players they've got." His days of idolising Hoddle may be long gone - Keaneologists are convinced that Manchester United, Bob Dylan and, above all, Brian Clough have been more formative influences - but when the Sunderland team bus pulls into White Hart Lane this afternoon home fans may be tempted to count the familiar faces on board and dub the visitors "Spurs Lite".

Earlier this summer Steed Malbranque, Teemu Tainio and Pascal Chimbonda all swapped Tottenham for a new life at the Stadium of Light where they joined two more former Spurs in the shape of Andy Reid - who arrived via Charlton - and Marton Fulop, Sunderland's reserve goalkeeper.

In an ideal world Keane would have relieved Juande Ramos of five, rather than merely three, professionals this summer but his attempts to bring Darren Bent and Younes Kaboul to Wearside failed.

Defending this unusual bulk-buying policy, Sunderland's manager last week explained: "We looked at Tottenham and knew they would be looking to move some players on. Certain people had stuck in my mind from when we played them last season and we were delighted to get them. It was good business."

Even so, Malbranque, Tainio and Chimbonda were dubbed surplus to requirements by Ramos. "They have nothing to prove," insisted Keane. "Their new manager wanted to bring in his own players and there was a deal to be had. Hopefully they will not get too bogged down by being back at their old club on Saturday."

Hurt by Ramos's rejection, Chimbonda clearly hopes the Spaniard will come to regret being so quick to dismantle the squad he inherited from Martin Jol last season. "Juande Ramos wanted to bring in his own players," said the right-back, his voice turning rather flat. "Sometimes that is good but sometimes I think you should keep the big players you inherit.

"It was a difficult season for me after Martin Jol left. We only finished 11th and if we hadn't won the Carling Cup it would have been a dead season. For me, it was not nice often being out of the team. That situation is something I have never experienced before."

Chimbonda's angst was exacerbated by a lack of communication from Jol's successor. "Roy Keane and Juande Ramos are similar managers but maybe Keane talks a bit more to the players than Ramos did because of the language barrier. I prefer that," he reflected. "I want the manager to talk to me to tell me what's happened and why I'm not in the team."

Tainio, who is sidelined by injury today, experienced similar treatment. "The last year at Spurs was frustrating," he admitted. "People who had played under Martin Jol suddenly didn't play anymore or were played out of position."

The Finland midfielder does, however, see parallels between Sunderland and the Spurs side Jol led to two fifth-placed finishes. "There's great ambition here and I get the same feeling about how the club want to push on that I had when I first arrived at Tottenham," said Tainio. "We've made some good signings." Chimbonda is particularly delighted by Keane's capture of Djibril Cisse from Marseille.

"I think people are starting to take notice of Sunderland now and for a big world star like Cisse to have joined us is a good sign," he enthused.

"We are ambitious - not necessarily more than Spurs but more than most clubs in the Premier League. Spurs want to finish fourth which is not our aim yet but we still want to do well. Roy Keane is building a team and it's exciting to be part of. I think Sunderland can do something big this season."