Tottenham Hotspur assistant manager Steffen Freund has hailed Scott Parker's positive approach to regaining full fitness after long-term injury.
The 32-year-old spent most of the latter half of last year recovering from Achilles surgery and has not started a match since England's Euro 2012 quarter-final defeat to Italy in June.
However, he has made substitute appearances in each of Tottenham's last five matches.
Freund revealed the key to Parker's speedy return to fitness was requesting to play games for the club's under-21 side.
He said: "I'm really proud about Scott Parker. It is Scott's attitude. He knows he will improve with games and that makes me proud as a coach that an England international plays with enjoyment with the under-21s so that he can be back in the starting line-up."
Despite starting against Coventry, Parker knows fitness is not the only obstacle to regaining his place in the team for Premier League and European matches.
Sandro and Mousa Dembele have both been in fine form and played key roles in Tottenham's rise to third in the table, while several other central midfielders are also vying for selection.
Freund added: "Sandro and Mousa are doing a fantastic job for us - 10 points in the last four games.
"To be patient is not easy, but that shows how strong we are, especially in central midfield.
"We have a lot of players. Don't forget Tom Huddlestone, don't forget Jake Livermore, Tom Carroll - they are waiting to start, too."
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