And there is no doubt that it will have given hope to the likes of Everton, Portsmouth, Blackburn and Aston Villa who all harbour hopes of breaking into the Premiership's elite.

But what must Leeds United fans have been thinking when they watched the game as a Spurs side including four former Elland Road employees took to the pitch at Wembley?

Robbie Keane, Paul Robinson, Jonathan Woodgate and Aaron Lennon all played their part for Juande Ramos's side as they triumphed 2-0.

And that is more than £30 million of talent sold by the Elland Road club.

At least that was the money Leeds got for the players.

I would suggest that in today's climate they are worth considerably more as a quartet and it only goes to emphasise the dramatic fall from grace at United.

Keane has become a White Hart Lane legend in his time there, Lennon has started to fulfill the undoubted potential he had in Yorkshire while Robinson is being rehabilitated after a dodgy spell but as they say form may be temporary, class is permanent.

As for Woodgate, I was delighted to see him claim the winning goal and the man of the match award.

I have been an admirer of his - yet strangely ridiculed for describing him once as the best player of his generation.

But if there is a better English-qualified footballing centre back I have yet to see him.

Sure, John Terry leads by example and, yes, I admit that on his day Rio Ferdinand has a trick or two up his sleeve.

But a fit - and that's the key - Woodgate beats both of them hands down in my book.

And he as the character to match his ability There are not any professional footballers who would have come back from all the injuries he has suffered through his career or the nightmare debut at Real Madrid when he scored an own goal before being sent off.

INTERNATIONAL cricket faces a testing time in the coming months with the launch of the ICC sanctioned Indian Premier League.

When the likes of Mahendra Singh Doni and Andrew Symonds can earn in excess of $1million for six weeks work, it is going to be difficult to stop them from playing in the competition.

It is probably he biggest test the game has faced since the Kerry Packer revolution in the 1970s.

India could come out of it well, however.

Each of the eight 'teams' that are going to take part have to include at least four home grown players who are under the age of 22.

The experience they gain could be invaluable.