Spurs will be assured of a place in Europe’s elite next season if they can overcome their east London rivals and FA Cup finalists at Upton Park.

Only an Arsenal victory over Barcelona in the Champions League final in Paris later this month can then wreck Tottenham’s European dream.

But despite all the massive games he has played in during his successful career, Davids admits the trip across London stands out as one of the most important of all.

Davids declared: “For me this is a very important match because it is what we have worked for all season. It is one of the biggest games I have played in in my career.

“You look at the end result of this game and it is what we have been trying to accomplish all season.

“When you are playing in a European Cup final you are just playing for a result. But this is something we have worked at for such a long time and we want to finish in fourth place.

“We want to secure our position in the Champions League and it is going to be a big day.

“It will be a huge impact for everyone at the club if we can get into the Champions League. You are playing against the best teams in Europe and that is where you want to be.

“You don’t want to be playing in the Champions League for just one season. You want to establish yourself as a big club and with a bit more money you can attract bigger players.

“The first thing for us is to ensure we win the last game and secure fourth place. But if Arsenal win and we cannot be in the Champions League, we will have to accept that. We will still be in the UEFA Cup and that will be a great step for the lads.”

Davids considers his first season at the club to have been successful but he has still been left out of Holland’s squad for the World Cup finals this summer.

The veteran Dutchman is reluctant to talk about his omission but has no such qualms when it comes to the subject of England and Wayne Rooney.

Spurs winger Aaron Lennon is already being tipped for a surprise call-up to Sven-Goran Eriksson’s squad and Davids is quick to add his support.

Davids said: “Aaron Lennon is doing very well now. He has had a good run in the team and like all young players he has faced some difficulties, but now he is even better than before.

“That is a good thing for him. When Rooney went to the European Championships no-one said he was too young. It depends on what the coach wants.

“He came into the Premier League and it was a big step-up for him. If he plays like he is doing now he can play on any stage.

“The season has been fun for me. If we end up fourth on Sunday it would have been a very successful season for me.”

The Dutchman is also convinced England can survive in Germany even if Rooney fails to recover from his metatarsal misery in time to play.

Davids said: “Why can’t England survive without Rooney? Maybe somebody else will stand out. People should not be making this so dramatic.

“Rooney is a world-class player but England have other world-class players.

“The other great thing for England is that they have very good goal-scoring midfielders like Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard.

“If Jermain Defoe or Peter Crouch is put in the team you still have a great chance of scoring. People should not be so dramatic and cry because the king is dead, long live the king.”

But Davids, who has one year left on his contract, admits his future at club level remains uncertain – irrespective of Tottenham’s Champions League fate.

Davids confessed: “I don’t know what I will be doing next season. I am happy at the club and we have a great team. We have players who are going to be really big in the future.

“It is a tough decision for me because maybe you do want to go home. I will have to think about it. It is difficult because I really like it here. I still have a year left.”