Kyle Walker has returned to training with the first team squad.

The full-back has been sidelined with an abdominal injury since March and underwent surgery in early September.

“It’s great to be back out there with the lads,” he told us after training on Wednesday.

“I’m taking it one step at a time, doing things correctly as I’ve been told and I’ll see where I am in a couple of weeks.

“Everything is good at the moment. I’ll be even happier when I’m back playing but that’s the final step.”

Now capped 10 times by England, Kyle, named PFA Young Player of the Year in 2012, was a mainstay in the team at the time of his injury.

Indeed, after his last Premier League appearance at Newcastle in February, 2013, he’d played an impressive 98 of the previous 103 league matches.

So a spell on the sidelines has been something new for the 24-year-old. “I think I’ve matured as a player and a person and hopefully that will take me onto the next step in my career,” he added.

“From my operation to my first day back in training was a 12-week programme and I didn’t miss a day’s work.

“I thought to myself ‘I’m going to put my all into this’ and hopefully that will stand me in good stead in terms of training and then working my way back into the team.

“I’m taking it slowly and hopefully it won’t be too long before I’m back out there at White Hart Lane.”

There was more good news as Bongani Khumalo has returned to training after a serious knee injury while Kenny McEvoy, recalled from his loan at League One side Peterborough United, also trained.