I made my debut for West Ham at Tottenham in February 1996 so I knew from that very first game in English football just what this derby means.

We won that game 1-0, the same scoreline as last season at the London Stadium. The fans still talk about that Friday night last May and there is no need to remind the players about the importance of the occasion.

There is also no need to emphasize the all-round ability of this Spurs team, other than to say I believe they play the most attractive football in the Premier League.

We go into tomorrow’s match with confidence growing all the time. I will admit it was at a ‘low’ after losing the first three Premier League matches and conceding too many goals.

That had to change — and it has. We’ve changed the system a little, the players have responded magnificently and — if you count the 3-0 Carabao Cup win over Bolton on Tuesday, we’ve kept three clean sheets, won two and drawn one.

We made 10 changes for that match but still put out a very strong side.

We have a minimum of two players for every position now and that’s something for which every Premier League club strives.

Injuries can, of course, change all that and I can still remember a time last season when we didn’t have one striker, let alone four, because we had so many players out. On Tuesday I wanted the players to put pressure on me regarding selection — and they did. Marko Arnautovic was named the man of the match and I am expecting big things of him going forward. Marko is Austrian but he has a Serbian father and he has the mentality of that country. I am a Croatian and the mentality — and the language — is similar.

That, I believe, will be a big help to both of us. It has helped already because I know his personality and myself and my staff have talked with him. We have told him we really want him to push the boundaries.

Don’t get me wrong, we are not talking about a prospect here. He is an established Premier League player who has been here for four seasons — and we have him here now.

His potential is enormous but I want him to show that consistency, not to get satisfied with doing something on the pitch and then relaxing.

I want him to show that same ability again and again. He has pace, it is impossible to get the ball from him, he has great skill and vision. All the ingredients are there so Marko, don’t make me one pizza, make me 10.

I also want to mention Declan Rice, who impressed me so much at the back. He has got enough of everything and he’s still only 18!

He has enough pace, enough skill, enough strength, he’s good in the air but what really impresses me is his focus.

He doesn’t lose that for a single moment, not even in training. To have that is a real virtue and I don’t see that too many times in such a young player.

With some players, you tell them all the time to be focused and they say, “Yes, yes” but somehow they still lose it.

He doesn’t. He knows exactly what he has to do.