Jamie Carragher: Tottenham Should Replace Tim Sherwood with Rafael Benitez

Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher believes Rafael Benitez should be the next Tottenham Hotspur manager.

Tim Sherwood replaced sacked Andre Villas-Boas as the north London club's boss last December. He was handed an 18-month contract, but their mixed results under the 45-year-old's guidance has seen his future remain uncertain beyond this season.

Frank de Boer has admitted that he will listen to offers from Spurs after revealing an approach from the White Hart Lane club for his services. However, Carragher believes Daniel Levy needs to appoint the former Liverpool manager as Sherwood's successor.

Benitez is currently plying his trade with Italian outfit Napoli. The former Liverpool defender believes the Spaniard could be interested in returning to the Premier League and has urged Spurs to make an approach for his services.

"If they want to go for a foreign manager again, why not go for someone who knows our league and a history of winning trophies? Personally, I think they should look at Rafa Benitez," Carragher told the Daily Mail.

"He would love to work in England again but perhaps his pragmatic style of play wouldn't be accepted. Yet he has a winning mentality, has had success at two big Premier League clubs already and has a rich European pedigree."

"For all their heritage, Tottenham are a team you don't tend to take seriously when discussing who will be in line for silverware. For as long as I can remember, regardless of their style and flair, they have been seen by the outside world as a soft touch."

"If that doesn't change, those stories from the 1960s about the great push-and-run team that Bill Nicholson managed and Danny Blanchflower captained will still be airing 20 years from now."

"Only one Tottenham team have come close to matching the consistency of the team from the mid-1980s. That was Harry Redknapp's squad from a couple of years ago that finished in the top four twice in three seasons and reached the Champions League quarter-finals," Anfield favourite concluded.