LONDON (Reuters) - Former Tottenham manager Tim Sherwood deserves a good reception from the club's fans when he returns to White Hart Lane with Aston Villa this weekend, his successor Mauricio Pochettino said on Friday.
Sherwood was promoted at Spurs after Andre Villas Boas was sacked in December 2013.
He kept the team in sixth position in the table, earning a Europa League place, but was dismissed at the end of the season.
Having previously worked at youth level, Sherwood gave a chance to younger players like new England international Harry Kane.
"I think that we share the same idea, we believe in young talent," Pochettino told reporters
"This is great, like when I started my career as a manager at Espanyol in Barcelona. We believe in the same things, to encourage and develop the young talent."
Since joining Villa in February, Sherwood has guided them out of the bottom three and into the FA Cup semi-finals, improving the team's previously feeble scoring record.
Striker Christian Benteke, who was sent off in the 2-1 defeat by Spurs earlier in the season, has now scored seven times in five games.
That included a hat-trick against Queens Park Rangers on Tuesday.
Pochettino confirmed that captain Hugo Lloris and defender Kyle Walker will both miss the match on Saturday.
Goalkeeper Lloris was injured in the last home game, ending a run of 57 successive Premier League matches and giving an opportunity to Dutchman Michel Vorm, who kept a clean sheet in the draw at Burnley last weekend.