Soccer-Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino

May 27 (Reuters) - Factbox on Argentine Mauricio Pochettino who was appointed Tottenham Hotspur manager on a five-year contract on Tuesday. Born March, 2, 1972 in Murphy, Santa Fe, Argentina. PLAYING CAREER - The young centre back began his playing career with Newell's Old Boys in 1988, making his debut at the age of 16. - Claimed his first piece of silverware in 1991 when Newell's were crowned champions of the Argentine Primera Division. - Signed for Spanish side Espanyol in 1994, making more than 200 appearances and winning the King's Cup before joining Paris Saint Germain in 2000. - Made his Argentina debut in 1999 and went on to earn 20 caps, playing in the 2002 World Cup, where he conceded a penalty that David Beckham scored in England's 1-0 group stage victory. - Left PSG for Girondins Bordeaux in 2003, but struggled to settle in the south of France and rejoined Espanyol on loan during the second half of the season. - Dubbed the "Sheriff of Murphy" because of where he grew up, Pochettino made the move to Espanyol permanent at the end of the 2003 season and went on to win a second King's Cup title in 2006 before retiring at the age of 34. COACHING CAREER - Following his retirement, Pochettino took his coaching qualifications and had a stint as assistant manager of Espanyol's successful women's side. - In January 2009 at the age of 36, Pochettino took charge of third-bottom Espanyol and guided them away from danger to a 10th place finish in La Liga. - Espanyol ended in mid-table in each of the following two seasons, narrowly missing out on qualifying for the Europa League in 2011 after spending much of the campaign in the top five. - Although his club slipped to 14th the following season, Pochettino became their fourth-longest-serving manager, having developed a reputation for bringing young players through the academy. - At the start of the 2012-13 season, Pochettino expressed concerns about the club's financial situation, and with the team bottom of La Liga, he left by mutual consent in November 2012. SOUTHAMPTON - Pochettino replaced Nigel Adkins as manager of Premier League club Southampton in January 2013, appointed by executive chairman Nicola Cortese, as the south-coast club looked to secure their top flight status after promotion the previous season from the Championship. - Despite being relatively unknown in England, Pochettino guided the club to a 14th-place finish, enjoying wins over Manchester City and Chelsea after adopting a high-pressing, attacking style of play. - The Argentine continued his philosophy of developing home-grown talent with England's 18-year-old left back Luke Shaw bursting on to the scene, while the likes of Adam Lallana and Jay Rodriguez also flourished under him. - After Southampton made a solid start to the 2013-14 campaign, Cortese announced his departure from St Mary's, leading to speculation about Pochettino's future. - But the 42-year-old, who conducts all his interviews in Spanish, said he was "100 percent committed" to the Saints and led them to eighth place - their highest ever finish in the Premier League. - With a year left on his contract and uncertainty surrounding the future of key players, such as England internationals Shaw and Lallana, Pochettino has decided to move to north London, where he becomes the second Argentine to manage Spurs after Osvaldo Ardiles, who was in charge 20 years ago. (Reporting by Michael Hann; Editing by Neville Dalton)