TOTTENHAM fans hope Daniel Levy’s exit will herald a period of more meaningful engagement between the club and their supporters.

The club announced Levy was standing down as executive chairman on Thursday evening, a change understood to have been orchestrated by the Lewis family trust, which controls ownership of the club, in an effort to improve the club’s on-field fortunes.

The PA news agency understands the trust would be open to external investment, but a full sale is not being contemplated as it stands.

Instead the focus is on improving results on the pitch, after the club finished a hugely disappointing 17th in last season’s Premier League even as they won the Europa League.

Levy has borne the brunt of fan frustration that the club’s off-field ambition in building a world-class stadium and training ground has arguably not been matched by the levels of investment on the playing side.

Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust (THST) issued a statement today urging the club’s new leadership to deepen ties with fans.

“Daniel’s legacy is self-evidently the construction of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, widely regarded as one of the finest football stadia in the world, as well as related infrastructure such as the training ground,” a trust statement read.

“Building such a stadium in the dense, urban heart of our home, Tottenham, is no mean feat. While some may still hanker after the more intimate White Hart Lane, it is clear that THS was needed to allow Tottenham Hotspur to compete on an equal footing with Europe’s football elite. Our thanks go to Daniel for his vision and drive in delivering the stadium.

“And yet, the laser focus on cost and value for money necessary for completing the stadium didn’t serve the club so well on the pitch.

“Our members and other respondents to our annual surveys consistently over many years valued the club’s development off the pitch but wanted greater focus on the football. As welcome as the Europa League win was, it was only the second trophy during Daniel’s 24-year reign.

“The failure to kick on under Mauricio Pochettino and after the opening of THS was a missed opportunity and seemed to reflect an approach, particularly in the transfer market, that was too cautious and too focused on extracting monetary value rather than addressing weaknesses that were obvious to all.

“Genuine fan engagement didn’t come naturally to Daniel. While on paper there was commitment, in practice this often meant telling us what the club planned to do at short notice.

“Earlier engagement may have avoided missteps such as the proposed move to Stratford, the [European Super League], furloughing staff in the pandemic and curtailing senior season ticket concessions.

“Legally, there is no change in ownership, but there is no doubt Daniel’s departure represents a switch in leadership to that of the Lewis family interests.

“It also provides an opportunity for more meaningful engagement with fans; there has already been an encouraging start under new CEO Vinai Venkatesham. The trust will continue to play a constructive role in the engagement process and fulfil its role as a critical friend to the club.

“We’d like to thank Daniel Levy for his achievements during his 24 years of service to the club and wish him well in his future endeavours.”

Seb Jenkins, the chief editor of Spurs-web.com, said: “It’s fair to say that Daniel Levy’s exit has shocked and thrilled most of the Tottenham fanbase in equal measure.

“Over recent years, he has received a lot of fair criticism over his mistakes and shortcomings, although perhaps now he will also receive the credit he deserves for growing the club so dramatically.

“Nothing against him personally, but hopefully Levy’s exit will trigger a new era for Spurs, where we show a lot more on-field ambition now that we have such stable foundations.

“Tottenham need to push for big, big trophies and I don’t think Levy was the man to get us there, even if he was the perfect person to get us to the brink.”