Tottenham boss Andre Villas-Boas has blocked Brad Friedel's loan move to Blackburn Rovers.

The Daily Mail says Friedel, 41, has been offered a player-coach role at Ewood Park by his old team-mate Henning Berg. Blackburn hope to revive a deal in January.

Friedel was ready to give up his battle with Hugo Lloris to be Tottenham's first-choice goalkeeper and make a dramatic return to Blackburn.

But both Villas-Boas and chairman Daniel Levy are understood to be reluctant to lose Friedel but the player is tempted by an opportunity to return to the north-west, where he still has a luxury home in Cheshire, and the offer of a move into coaching.