Former Tottenham forward Les Ferdinand has made the stunning revelation that coaches at the club used to motivate Mousa Dembele by telling him he could earn a move away if he played well.

The Belgian midfielder played 90 minutes as Mauricio Pochettino's side lost 1-0 to Besiktas in Istanbul.

But Ferdinand felt the 27-year-old could have offered more, admitting he struggled to motivate the Belgian midfielder while working as a coach in north London.

Mousa Dembele played 90 minutes as Mauricio Pochettino's side lost 1-0 to Besiktas in Istanbul

Les Ferdinand revealed a bizarre technique Spurs coaches used to motivate Dembele when he worked there

Speaking on ITV, he said: 'We used to watch him in (Tottenham's) training - every time he gets the ball he wants someone to challenge him and he gets past them but just passes it sideways.

'He's got great ability you just don't see enough of it. He leaves you frustrated because you know he's got more and you want to see it.

'We used to say to him: "You're the next person to go to Real Madrid, you're the next guy to go to Real Madrid from this club".

'He can get forward. He's got a great shot on him you just never see it.'

Former Celtic boss Gordon Strachan also agreed that although Dembele possessed talent, he was often a frustrating figure to watch.

He said: 'The game looks like it's so easy for him. He's big and strong, he's got everything.

'He should be a guy who you're saying is man of the match maybe 20 per cent of the time he plays, but he doesn't even get a game every week.'

They used to tell Dembele that if he played well enough he would be able to earn a move away from the club