Arsenal legend Tony Adams insists North London rivals Spurs still have to prove themselves as a force in English football – and the only way they can do that is by winning silverware.

Mauricio Pochettino’s side earning plaudits for the quality of their play over the last couple of seasons – including a comprehensive 2-0 victory over Arsene Wenger’s Gunners in April in the second-from-last ever match at the old White Hart Lane.

But Adams, who played 669 games for the club, lifting the league title over an incredible three decades, believes Spurs cannot be judged as being successful without lifting a trophy or two – something that has failed to happen since the Lillywhites won the League Cup in 2008.

Speaking exclusively to the Islington Gazette at a central London hotel earlier this season he compared the situation to George Graham’s young Arsenal side before they lifted the 1987 Littlewoods Cup – which then gave them the confidence to kick on and win a raft of trophies.

Adams said: “What was so important –was that if we hadn’t won the 87 Littlewoods Cup we could be like Tottenham now.

“I think the big difference between Tottenham and that Arsenal team and the Tottenham now is that they should have won the league the year Leicester won it and got over that line.

“If they had done that then, they would have claimed their first trophy which is a massive thing to do psychologically.

“That’s what we did as kids when we won the Littlewoods Cup and we went on to achieve a lot more by doing our thing. If they do win that first trophy then they could well do too and kick-on. But they haven’t yet.

“We just grew another level after our first trophy in 1987 and then winning the league at Anfield in 1989.

“The 1990-91 squad was probably the best I’ve ever played in, we had a fantastic team then but none of it would have happened without that first victory.

“And until Spurs win some silverware there will always be questions asked about them.”

In the film 89 The Film the class of 89 talk about how much the North London derby meant to them, including winning a vital match at White Hart Lane 3-2 in September 1988. As Adams said in the film: ‘We wanted to beat Spurs more than any other team.”

Tony Adams second book is called Sober.

89 The Film is out now.