On Sunday, Hughton will make his first visit to the north London club he served so long as both player and coach since his sacking last October.

But the 49-year-old insists he will keep his emotions firmly in check as he bids to help Newcastle to a double over Tottenham.

United – then managed by Sam Allardyce – hastened Martin Jol's exit with a 3-1 win at St James's Park.

Hughton said: "I've been asked if it'll be eerie for me going to the Lane, and while I don't think this will be the case, it'll be certainly strange, although I have to add that I'm not the most emotional of people.

"Obviously, I'll be meeting a lot of people I know – including the Spurs players – for the first time since I left, but it'll only be a good day for me if Newcastle United can get some kind of result."

Hughton remembers only too well Newcastle doing the double over Spurs last season.

After Obafemi Martins had levelled the scores at 2-2 with a wonder goal, Nicky Butt scored the winner of a remarkable game at White Hart Lane, while United also won 3-1 at St James's Park.

Hughton added: "Spurs finished fifth last season, and the fact that Newcastle beat them twice and again at St James's Park in October should give the players some confidence on Sunday.

"Looking back at last season's game, while Nicky Butt scored the winner for Newcastle, Obafemi Martins's equaliser was a fantastic goal.

"When you concede a goal, you look at the reasons why but there was nothing Spurs could have done about that goal from Martins."

He added: "We'll have to stifle their play, but obviously it won't be easy.

"Spurs now have a very good side, and they're very difficult to beat on their own ground. If we allow them to get their passing movement going, they'll hurt you, especially with strikers of the quality of Dimitar Berbatov and Robbie Keane.

"If we sit back, it's inevitable that we'll let in a goal, so we've got to get in there among them, and in the likes of Nicky Butt, Joey Barton and Geremi, we have just the players to do that.

"But we also have the players up front, in Oba Martins, Michael Owen and Mark Viduka, to hurt them.

"Apart from the Liverpool game at Anfield, we've been creating chances, and I'm sure we'll get some on Sunday."