Clint Dempsey wants to fire Tottenham into the Champions League and prove that Andre Villas-Boas was right to spend £6 million him in the summer, reports the London Evening Standard.

The United States attacker signed for Spurs from Fulham on deadline day in August but has struggled to replicate the form that persuaded Villas-Boas to bring him to White Hart Lane.

His meek performances have caused sections of the club's supporters to express their disgruntlement at the 29-year-old's slow start to life in North London.

But after sitting out the festive period due to injury, Dempsey has started to show flashes of his former self in recent week and wants to start chipping in with more goals to compensate for the loss of Emmanuel Adebayor to the Africa Cup of Nation and ease the burden on Jermain Defoe.

“I had a slow start to the season so it is good to be chipping in with goals and repaying the club for their belief in me," he said.

“Ade is great player and he is going to be missed but when you get a chance to play, you want to stand up and take advantage of that opportunity.

“Everyone is fighting for spots and trying to get into this line-up because it is a difficult team to break into. Any time you get an opportunity to play, you just try to make sure that you take advantage of it."

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