Work on Tottenham's new stadium begins as White Hart Lane pitch is ripped up less than 24 hours after final match

It took less than 24 hours after Tottenham's 2-1 win against Manchester United for diggers to appear on the hallowed turf, ripping up the White Hart Lane pitch

Work started less than 24 hours after Tottenham's final game at the Lane (Twitter / @Broxspurs)

Diggers have appeared at White Hart Lane ripping up the pitch, less than 24 hours after Tottenham’s emotional 2-1 victory over Manchester United at the ground.

On Monday morning Spurs chairman Daniel Levy handed over the keys to the stadium to Mark Reynolds, the CEO of a contracting company called Mace, who will oversee construction of the club’s new stadium.

And work began quickly, with heavy machinery spotted on the pitch digging up the turf early on Monday afternoon.

Tottenham expect the demolition work to take the best part of three months as they begin work on their new 61,000-capacity ground.

The North Stand will be demolished first, with the South Stand the next to be removed, including the current Spurs Megastore.

Tottenham's new stadium will be ready for the 2018/19 season (Twitter / @Broxspurs)

Tottenham will now move to Wembley for the 2017/18 campaign, ahead of their move to their new stadium in time for the 2018/19 season.

Levy insisted ahead of the club’s final game that the club are not “moving” stadiums, as the new ground is being built adjacent to their famous old ground.

It didn't take long for work to begin (Twitter / @Broxspurs)

“We have outgrown our current home and we are building a wonderful new home right here. We are not moving,” he wrote in a message to supporters.

“The new pitch will overlap the old one. Our new home will slowly embrace and engulf the old one. We are determined that it will be a worthy successor to White Hart Lane and a fitting stage for our current and future great teams.”