London: North Middlesex University Hospital in London - now in its third week of occupancy - has transformed Tottenham Hotspur Stadium into a state-of-the-art clinical facility in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
The programme is designed to free up much-needed capacity at the hospital itself, based in nearby Edmonton, to treat patients facing COVID-19 symptoms.
Also, the stadium's huge basement car park is being used to conduct drive-through coronavirus testing and swabbing for North Middlesex Hospital staff and their families.
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was the first English Premier League ground to be used for testing, following on from other sporting venues around the world.
Post-match interview areas, reception and player medical checks have all been freed up for use.
Meanwhile, former Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino, who guided the club to the final of Champions League last season, on Thursday said he wants to return to the Spurs one day to finish the job he started.
The Argentine left Spurs in November, six months after leading them to the Champions League final, and has been linked with Newcastle in recent days.
Reports claim he is the main target of the Magpies' prospective new Saudi Arabian owners should they complete a takeover, but Pochettino could not disguise his desire to return to north London at some stage in his career.
The ex-Southampton boss, who spent more than five years at Spurs, told a Sports channel: "It was an amazing journey that finished the way no one wanted it to finish.
"But deep in my heart I am sure our paths will cross again. From the day I left the club, my dream is to be back one day and to try to finish the work we didn't finish. We were so close to winning the Premier League and Champions League.”
