Ange Postecoglou has brushed off the suggestion working in the Premier League was a step up from his time at Celtic in Scotland.
The former Parkhead boss was quizzed on the difference between working in the Scottish Premiership and England's top flight.
But Postecoglou insisted "every challenge is the same" as he cited the must-win situation in Scotland during his time at Celtic.
Referencing the Scottish Premiership title race, Postecoglou suggested he would have been out of a job if he finished second to Rangers during his time in Glasgow.
And he insisted just as managing Tottenham represents a "massive challenge", so too did leading Celtic.
Responding to the question in his first press conference, Postecoglou said: "I don't know about step-ups. I had the same question when I got to the SPFL but I coached at a World Cup so I've coached in different leagues.
"I think every challenge is the same to be honest, it's relative to the competition you are in.
"I have never gone into any job thinking, 'This is going to be easy' in comparison to anything else I've done.
"It's going to be a massive challenge, absolutely, but Celtic was a massive challenge.
"I know people sort of say in Scotland if you're Celtic you are either going to finish first or second but second is last, second I'm not in a job.
"You have to finish first. Irrespective of what outside thoughts are there is still a demand there.
"And it's not just about winning, it's the manner in which you win as well.
"There is an expectation around the way you play your football, particularly me. I am pretty explicit in saying I want my teams to play in a certain way so that has to be reflective in how we do things.
"I've never seen anything I've done as a step up, I just see it as a different challenge, a different set of circumstances.
"What other people perceive as a step up in level, you're working with better players, bigger organisation, more resources. All those kind of things are relative.
"I don't dismiss any success at any level for anybody in life because I can guarantee you that even at the lowest levels of what we perceive whether that's football or life, somebody is grafting to be successful against the relative competition so I have never seen it as a step up I just see it as a new challenge for me."
