Tim Sherwood says giving him the Tottenham job is a gamble

Tim Sherwood admitted his appointment as Tottenham's new head coach is a risky decision by chairman Daniel Levy.

Speaking after a 1-1 draw with West Brom in his first game since he got the job, Sherwood said: "It's a gamble because I've never done it before.

"But there are a lot of good managers who had never done it before and become a success. I was never a professional player until I stepped on the field."

Sherwood was given the Spurs job on a permanent basis on Monday.

He lost to West Ham in the Capital One Cup and beat Southampton in the Premier League in his two games in charge on an interim basis following the departure of previous boss Andre Villas-Boas on 16 December.

The fact that Sherwood only has a contract until the end of next season has prompted suggestions that he is only a short-term appointment.

"I regard [that] as an insult, but it is only an insult if I go and win all the games," Sherwood said.

"What can we do? If we win all the games and they bring someone else in after I've won the league, then I'm going to Real Madrid," he added, with a smile.

Sherwood feels his team will become a more cohesive unit once the busy festive period is behind them and he can do more work with them on the training ground.

"I think we will improve," he explained. "It has been difficult [since he got the job permanently] because it has been hectic and the number of the games means we have not been able to give too much instruction to the boys in training.

"It's a new voice and we are asking them to play in a slightly different manner and hopefully they are going to get better and better at it."