Jol: keeping Carr was not on the cards

Martin Jol today revealed that keeping Stephen Carr at Tottenham was never an option when he and Frank Arnesen arrived at the club last summer.

The Republic of Ireland defender joined Newcastle for £2million in August after making it clear that he did not want to be part of the new regime at White Hart Lane.

Carr's departure - with a year left on his contract - left Noe Pamarot as the club's first-choice right-back with youngsters Stephen Kelly and Phil Ifill also vying for the role.

Jol said: "There was nothing we could do because he wanted to go. He wouldn't sign a new contract so it was straightforward. Even though Noe Pamarot did well defensively and Stephen Kelly is versatile, I think we missed him to start with - he was very experienced. But we have moved on since then and now things are much better."

Carr will be expecting a hostile reception from Spurs fans, many of whom were unhappy with his determination to leave the club where he spent the first 10 years of his career.

Hugely reluctant to talk to the media, the 28-year-old has hardly helped his cause by failing to publicly explain the circumstances surrounding his departure. He also angered travelling Spurs fans by making a celebratory gesture in their direction after last month's 1-0 FA Cup defeat at St James' Park.