FORMER Ewood favourite Tim Sherwood today identified David Dunn and Damien Duff as the biggest threat to Tottenham's Worthington Cup dreams ahead of tomorrow's final at the Millennium Stadium.

Sherwood knows all about the deadly duo's precocious talents from his days as a Blackburn player during the 1990s.

And, as he prepares to renew acquaintances with his old club in Cardiff, he has issued a warning to his Spurs team-mates that they must snuff out the danger by posed by Graeme Souness's 'D-Force' or run the risk of facing possible heartbreak.

"I know from the past that Damien Duff can be a very dangerous player on his day and he has the ability to destroy any defence," said Sherwood.

"So we'll need to watch him very carefully because he'll be the man Rovers will look to to supply the ammunition for the likes of Matt Jansen and Andy Cole.

"And like Duffer, David Dunn is another player who can change a game on his own with one piece of skill.

"He played a few games when I was there and you could see even then that he had something about him, so I'm sure he'll go on to have a great career.

"I know some people have said it's perhaps too early for him to break into the England squad ahead of this World Cup, but young players need chances to impress and sometimes when you throw them in at the deep end, it's the best thing for them.

"I certainly don't think he'd be intimidated if he was given an opportunity so who knows what might happen over the next few months."

The last time Rovers won a major trophy, Sherwood was the man who lifted the silverware when they clinched the Premier League title at Anfield in 1995.

But now the England international is one of the players standing between Rovers and their first major Cup triumph since 1928.

And the veteran Spurs midfielder is fiercely determined to add to his own medals haul at his old club's expense.

For the Worthington Cup might have come in for some criticism from some quarters this season, but Sherwood and his Tottenham team-mates are taking the competition deadly serious.

And the lure of a return to Europe for the famous old club is the carrot which is driving them on as they prepare for a showdown in the Welsh capital.

"This is a massive game for Tottenham because we need to get ourselves back into Europe," said Sherwood.

"Playing in competitions like the UEFA Cup not only helps you to increase your revenue but it makes it easier to attract the top players as well.

"So it's vitally important that we get back onto a stage like that because a club the size of Spurs needs European football."

When the draw for the semi-finals was made, Sherwood was delighted to avoid Rovers in the last four to keep alive the prospect of a meeting with his old club in the final.

And now it's become a reality, he cannot wait to renew some old acquaintances at the magnificent Millennium.

"It's going to be very exciting because this is my first major final, and with it being Blackburn, that's sure to add some extra spice," said the 1995 Championship-winning skipper.

"The only thing I've ever won in my career was the Premier League title with Rovers so I'd love to add the Worthington Cup to that - it's just unfortunate that it could be at Blackburn's expense.

"When they got through I didn't think too much about it going into our second leg with Chelsea because, at that stage, we weren't the favourites to go through. But once it became a reality then I could start to think about it and I'm sure it's going to be a great final between two teams who like to play attacking football."