Soccer: Anderton wants future sorted out

Darren Anderton has called on Tottenham to come clean about his future at White Hart Lane.

The England midfielder will be out of contract at the end of the season and is desperate to know whether new owners ENIC want to keep him.

And 29-year-old Anderton, who has been at the club since 1992, took his own swipe at under-achieving Spurs.

‘‘I want to know what the club’s plans are because in the whole time I’ve been here we’ve won one thing,’’ he said.

That thing, the League Cup in 1999, is indeed the sole piece of silverware achieved by the Londoners in the decade since their 1991 FA Cup success.

Now Anderton wants a guarantee that Tottenham have their sights set on greater prizes after what he called a ‘‘frustrating’’ nine years at the club.

‘‘It could be the last major contract of my career so it’s got to be absolutely right for me,’’ he said.

‘‘I want to do what makes me happy and I honestly hope we can sort something out. I hope we’ll be able to get things moving with my agent within the next week or so.

‘‘My agent spoke to David Pleat a week ago and told him I wanted to sit down with the new owners when they arrived and discuss it. Now they’re here so I’ll know a bit more soon,’’ he told his official bigfanof.com website.

It is nearly two months since Anderton last voiced concerns about his future with George Graham’s men.

Even then he admitted there ‘‘had not been much progress on the (contract) front’’ and called the delay in talks ‘‘frustrating’’.

He has however, as then, affirmed his desire to stay at Tottenham but is clearly anxious for some reassurance on his future.

The new owners’ era began in the worst possible fashion on Saturday as another dismal performance led to a 2-1 defeat at Derby.

Anderton accused Spurs of failing to achieve the minimum requirement for a club of their size.

Five managers in Anderton’s time at White Hart Lane have failed to deliver a final league position higher than seventh.

Anderton said: ‘‘That’s a huge disappointment to me because I want to do well especially in the league.

‘‘I don’t think a club as big as Tottenham should finish outside the top six but in my time we’ve never been up there.’’

Saturday’s defeat leaves Spurs eight points adrift of sixth place in 12th position and Anderton is clearly hoping for a radical change of fortune.

‘‘It’s frustrating but hopefully the new owners can turn it around,’’ he added.