Promoted Ipswich Town have a “great chance” of staying in the Premier League next season, according to Argentine World Cup winner Ossie Ardiles.
The 71-year-old former Spurs star said teams promoted from the Championship were generally favorites to relegate.
But Ardiles said the fact Ipswich had played in the top flight before would count for a lot.
“Ipswich have a big, big opportunity – they played extremely well,” he said.
Leicester City, winners of Ipswich Town and the Championship, secured automatic promotion to the Premier League.
They will be joined by Southampton, who secured their place in the top flight with a 0-1 play-off win over Leeds at Wembley on Sunday.
“Every time, the three promoted teams are the favorites to go down – certainly,” Ardiles told the BBC.
“But on the other hand, I believe people like Leicester and Ipswich have been there before, so that will count for a lot.
“I don’t think they’ll fall.”
Ardiles and former Argentine international Ricky Villa, also 71, visited a pub in Barley, Hertfordshire, to mark national independence day on May 25th.
The pair, who moved to Spurs after winning the World Cup with Argentina in 1978, took part in the celebrations at the Fox & Hounds.
They watched the FA Cup final and then answered punters’ questions about football and their careers.
Ardiles lives in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, and is friends with Fox & Hounds owner Graham Smith-Bernal. Villa lives in Argentina and is visiting England.
Ardiles said he and Villa had “absolutely wonderful” memories of playing for Spurs against Ipswich in the late 1970s and 1980s when Bobby Robson was manager.
He said Ipswich were one of the best teams in the country when he played.
Ardiles said he would love to see the club return to those heights.
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