“GO ON, NAME A PLAYER,” the Tottenham Hotspur fan outside White Hart Lane said. “And I’ll tell you he’s injured.” They were preparing themselves for the worst before this encounter. Tottenham seemed a club in crisis with too many players out and a manager hot favourite for the drop. But the supporters left feeling that all was well, the players noses were wet, their eyes shiny and their manager an absolute genius.

“He’s still world-class. You should see him in training. He’s a top player, terrific with both feet, he hits it like a five-iron.” Not a description of Darren Anderton but of Glenn Hoddle delivered by Rohan Ricketts. Hoddle took a gamble on Ricketts, a player with a few personal problems who looked as if he would not make it at Arsenal. “It’s a lovely story,” Hoddle said, and he was rewarded with a performance that held enough sparkle to remind us all of the flamboyant Tottenham days.

“At Arsenal I think you have to wait until you’re 21 or 22 before you get a sniff and that’s too long in my eyes,” Ricketts said. “I’m 20 and I thought I’d be ready sooner. Arsène Wenger told me I had a chance but you can only wait so long.” Hoddle has been accused of not knowing how to handle players, of judging them too harshly by his own skilful standards, so stories such as that told by Ricketts can only improve the Tottenham manager’s public relations. “He’s made me mature as a footballer,” Ricketts said.

Victories help, too, of course. Leeds United, once they had taken an early lead through Alan Smith, only really had one tactic and that was to rely on home-crowd jitters and Tottenham nerves. It might have paid off. Tottenham had opened this season’s campaign with an unlucky defeat away to Birmingham City and had found goals hard to come by in their pre-season matches.

They had the air of a team trying too hard. Jamie Redknapp neatly flicked the ball into the air before volleying it towards goal but it was a relatively tame strike that summed up the first 40 minutes — ambitious without the execution. But then Bobby Zamora, who had looked a little overawed, provided a strong, accurate lay-off and Mauricio Taricco cut in from the left to produce a blistering equaliser.

“I had a smile on my face because I said he was going to score today,” Hoddle said, bringing to mind his controversial mystical past. The reaction both on and off the pitch was almost hysterical, so profound was the relief. Tottenham then attacked with verve as Leeds grew more unambitious. Hoddle still has an injury list but Frédéric Kanouté was sufficiently recovered from his groin strain to come off the bench to score the winning goal, the third fabulous strike of the game, an elegant, over-the-shoulder volley.

Tottenham now believed in themselves. Even Helder Postiga, known as Hilda Ogden before this match for his lack of menace for one so fêted, began to look worth his £6 million fee. Hoddle may start to think that his luck has changed. He could name his first-choice defence for a start, something he was able to do only once last season.

Peter Reid, the Leeds manager, was just about as affable as a coach can be while losing. He made jokes on the touchline and beamed as he complimented his team’s performance.

“Everything I’ve asked of them they’ve done,” he said. “If we can improve on our passing play we’ll win games. There’s a good spirit among the players. I want them to play for the shirt.”

Reid said one of the capital’s cooler August days had been too warm for the players. “You don’t sweat in London do you, you perspire,” he grinned. Tottenham have been guilty for too long of believing they had a right to win without sweating. If they can keep up this level of graft allied to moments of magical finishing, then just maybe Hoddle will rediscover popularity and the anxiety will be wiped from the fans’ faces.

Tottenham Hotspur (3-5-2): K Keller 5 — A Gardner 7, D Richards 6, L King 7 — S Carr 6, S Davies 6, J Redknapp 6, R Ricketts 6, M Taricco 8 (sub: D Marney, 86min) — H Postiga 6, R Zamora 6 (sub: F Kanouté, 62 7). Substitutes not used: N Sullivan, G Bunjevcevic, M Acimovic. Booked: Postiga. NEXT: Liverpool (a)

Leeds United (4-4-2): P Robinson 5 — G Kelly 6, Z Camara 5, L Radebe 5, D Matteo 6 — J Wilcox 4 (sub: J Pennant, 55 4), J Morris 5, Seth Johnson 5, L Sakho 6 (sub: D Domi, 64 5) — A Smith 7, M Viduka 5 (sub: A Lennon, 79 5). Substitutes not used: N Martyn, D Batty. Booked: Kelly, Matteo. NEXT: Southampton (h)

Shots on target: (h) 6 (a) 3. Fouls: (h) 14 (a) 14. Offsides: (h) 2 (a) 2

Referee: S Dunn 6. Attendance: 34,354