Roberto De Zerbi caused immediate stir in positive sign for Tottenham's relegation fight

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Roberto De Zerbi was praised for making an instant impression at Brighton in a boost to hopes he can guide Tottenham Hotspur away from danger. The Italian put pen to paper on a five-year contract at the north London outfit earlier this week to succeed Igor Tudor , with Spurs embroiled in a relegation battle with only seven Premier League fixtures remaining this season.

With Spurs positioned 17th in the standings and merely one point and one place above West Ham , De Zerbi has been tasked with injecting fresh impetus into the struggling squad - and the clock is ticking.

But if Danny Welbeck's assessment is any indication, De Zerbi possesses the ability to swiftly introduce renewed vigour and vision, having achieved precisely that during his spell at Brighton.

The Seagulls striker previously discussed the start of the Italian's tenure at the club and disclosed he was immediately impressive. The former Manchester United and Arsenal striker told ESPN : "Straight away from day one he's been impressive with his charisma and his passion for the game.

"He's got an eye for fine detail, with every single pass and movement. He's really improved a lot of players - he gives everybody the opportunity to get on the pitch and show what they can do.

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"He's had a huge impact. It's not easy as we had a good manager before (Graham Potter). But Roberto's been unbelievable with the lads, with the dressing room and everybody around the club.

"His charisma and passion - you only get to see 20 per cent of what we see. We see it in everything he does: it's a joy to be working for this manager right now."

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Having gone without a league victory since beating Crystal Palace 1-0 back in December, De Zerbi's first chance to steer Spurs away from the threat of relegation comes against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light next Sunday.

The 46-year-old outlined both his immediate and longer-term goals at Tottenham following the announcement of his appointment. He said: "I am delighted to be joining this fantastic football club, which is one of the biggest and most prestigious in the world .

"In all my discussions with the club's leadership, their ambition for the future has been clear – to build a team capable of reaching great achievements, and to do that playing a style of football that excites and inspires our supporters.

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"I am here because I believe in that ambition and have signed a long-term contract to give everything to deliver it. Our short-term priority is to climb the Premier League table, which will be the complete focus until the final whistle of the last game of the season.