Antonio Conte issued a powerful rallying cry to his new Tottenham players in his first day in charge, telling them: the hard work starts now.

The Italian met his new squad at around 3pm on Tuesday afternoon and immediately held a team meeting during which he made a passionate address.

Conte wasn’t able to officially take training due to the fact he hasn’t yet received a work permit from the Home Office but that did not prevent him from making an instant impact.

Antonio Conte issued a powerful rallying cry to his new Tottenham players on his first day, even though he could not officially take charge of training his new players

In an emotional opening day at the club’s Enfield HQ, Conte told his side that he will instill a winning mentality into the team but they must be prepared to put in the hard yards, particularly on the training pitch.

Conte’s sessions are notoriously intense, and while the 52-year-old did not officially take training on Tuesday and only attended in a watching capacity, it is understood the Spurs setup caught a glimpse of how hard training under the former Chelsea boss is likely to be.

Conte expressed to his new players that he is completely available for each and every one of them - but only if they give him everything in return.

The coach also stressed the importance of togetherness among the squad and to work hard for each other - but also insisted they should start to enjoy themselves again after what has been a tough start to the season.

Indeed, the senior Tottenham stars are understood to have been deeply impressed by Conte during his first 24 hours at the helm and found him motivational.

Meanwhile, Spurs expect to receive the Government green light for Conte to take charge of his new club for the first time on Thursday night following his appointment as Nuno Espirito Santo’s successor.

If, as expected, his work permit arrives today, on Wednesday, then Conte is expected to be in the dugout for Thursday’s match against Vitesse Arnhem.

There is likely to be plenty of focus on whether Conte can reinvigorate Harry Kane’s season given the England captain’s below-par season so far.

And it is understood Kane is enthused by the 52-year-old’s arrival given his proven track record of success.

The striker has been frustrated by the club’s lack of ambition and tried to leave the club in the summer as a result.

But Conte’s arrival is certainly viewed as a positive by the Tottenham striker.

Conte will spend the next two months assessing his squad before deciding who he would consider letting leave to raise money to reinvest into the transfer market.

The former Chelsea boss will have money to spend and is understood to be keen on exploring a move for Fiorentina forward Dusan Vlahovic, who has scored 10 goals in 12 games this season.

There is also an interest in Nicolo Barella at Inter Milan, the club Conte left at the end of last season.