Much of the Premier League returned for the start of pre-season training last week, but you could almost forgive Mauricio Pochettino for just giving his Tottenham squad the rest of July off. As of Saturday morning, the number of his players still involved even at this late stage of the tournament across three different squads totalled nine. He even had two potential national captains in Hugo Lloris and Harry Kane in contention to lift the trophy.

From Nacer Chadli and Luka Modric to Kyle Walker and Vedran Corluka, there were also plenty of others who have passed through the dressing-room at White Hart Lane in recent years.

They were not all personally coached and improved by Pochettino, but the majority were, and it all begs a rather different sort of question. Is the most influential coach at this World Cup not Gareth Southgate, Didier Deschamps or Roberto Martinez, but perhaps Pochettino himself?

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With Tottenham’s move to a new stadium looming later this year - and both Pochettino and Harry Kane signing new contracts over recent months - it has all certainly been another wonderful advertisement for the club. Any young player searching for an environment that might maximum their talent must surely be taking note.

Again, as of Saturday morning, there were nine times more Tottenham players still involved in the tournament than neighbours Arsenal, who were themselves once seen as the ultimate English home for emerging international talent. The days back in 1998 when the Daily Mirror famously proclaimed, ‘Arsenal win the World Cup’, really now are a long time ago.

“I think it’s very good for the image of Tottenham - it is good experience and good for the future of the club,” said Lloris. “Hopefully, a Tottenham player will become a World Cup winner. Obviously, there is one I wish for the most.”

It is Belgium who now stand in France’s way and, for all the vast differences in population and past footballing success, Lloris is adamant that Martinez’s team will start Tuesday’s semi-final in St Petersburg as the favourites.

“I think that beating Brazil will make them that,” said Lloris. “To win the semi-final, we need to play at a better level than against Uruguay. We will be up against a great team with fantastic players. It will be a big, big fight.”

There is of course a potential big downside to all of this for Tottenham. Pochettino places enormous emphasis on his pre-season time with the players and summer is the one period in the entire year when he can work with sustained intensity on their physical fitness. It means that Arsenal, among others, ought really to be in far better shape for the start of the season.

And yet there is another intangible counter-benefit for Spurs. For all their progress in recent years, Tottenham have heard often about how their players are yet to win medals. A sizeable number could have the most important one of all in their pocket come next Sunday.