Top 5 Tottenham Players before the 2000s

Harry Kane, Christian Eriksen and Cristian Romero are a few of the biggest names on the Spurs team today. One can argue that the club has had bigger stars on their team in the past, and just like online casinos, new does not always mean better. Even though many prefer new casinos UK, like those found here, many swear to the older brands with years of experience.

We are sure you know all the best Spurs footballers today, so let’s take a look at some of the absolute best footballers for Tottenham before the 2000s.

1. Striker, Jimmy Greaves (1961 – 1970)

Jimmy Greavs, one of the greatest goal scorers in football history, is ranked first on our list.

In 380 games for Tottenham, he scored an astounding 266 goals. In his career, he scored 366 league goals, the most in Europe and a record that he still holds – but Cristiano Ronaldo is closing in on it.

Signed by Bill Nicholson for £99,999 from AC Milan to avoid him becoming the first £100,000 player in 1961, Greaves’ arrival proved to be the final piece of the puzzle for what would go on to become the greatest Tottenham side ever.

His natural ability to target the bottom corner of the net from any angle distinguished him as one of the game’s most natural finishers.

After suffering a life-threatening stroke, the great man was accorded a hero’s welcome back to White Hart Lane in March. Although the torch has been passed on, the memory of Greaves on the pitch lives on.

2. Midfielder, Glenn Hoddle (1975 – 1987)

Hoddle is regarded as the most talented Tottenham player of all time, surpassing Gascoigne, Jones, Bale, and Ardiles.

For more than a decade, the Englishman lit up the Lane with magical moments that brought the crowd to its feet. He was the crown jewel in a team of diamonds as Spurs won two FA Cups and the FA Cup in the early to mid-1980s.

Some thought of him as a luxury player, which Danny Blanchflower eloquently refuted. He asked, ‘Hoddle?’ ‘No, the awful players are a luxury,’ says the author.

3. Defender, Dave Mackay (1959 – 1968)

Dave Mackay is immortalized in a photograph. In it, he is pictured in 1966 grabbing Leeds’ Billy Bremner by the scruff of the neck. As Bremner proclaims his innocence, Mackay’s face contorts with rage.

It’s a classic image. Mackay, who is known as England’s tough guy, despised it. ‘It bothers me because it depicts me as a bully, which I am not and have never been.’

Mackay’s reputation as a tough guy belied his ability on the field; he scored 43 goals for Spurs and was the cornerstone of Nicholson’s title-winning squad.

Still, you don’t gain a reputation for being tough as nails for no reason, and his ability to recover from two leg breaks in a row speaks volumes about his character.

4. Midfielder, Danny Blanchflower (1954-1963)

‘The great fallacy is that the game is about winning first and foremost. It’s nothing like that. The game is about glory, about accomplishing things with style and flair, about going out and defeating the opposition rather than waiting for them to die of boredom.’

There have been 384 appearances. The legendary 1960/61 team’s captain. Twice named Footballer of the Year. In 1963, he won the European Cup Winners’ Cup. But probably most crucially, he was the creator of a famous quote, the words by which every Spurs team is measured:

“The great fallacy is that the game is first and last about winning. It is nothing of the kind. The game is about glory, it is about doing things in style and with a flourish, about going out and beating the other lot, not waiting for them to die of boredom.”

He didn’t only say those things; he lived them on the field as well. There are few Spurs players that are greater or more important than Blanchflower.

5. Midfielder, Paul Gascoigne (1988 – 1991)

Between 1988 and 1991, Gascoigne’s meteoric career plummeted through Tottenham. According to legend, he turned down Manchester United because chairman Irving Scholar and manager Terry Venables promised him a house, a car, and a sunbed for his sister if he joined Spurs.

With the exception of a rebirth at Euro 1996, the chubby-cheeked, podgy-legged genius with a council estate haircut and a gift bestowed on so few shone brighter at Spurs than he had ever done before or would ever do again.

Gascoigne symbolized the line between good and evil that runs through all men’s emotions in two FA Cup moments: his howitzer free-kick against Arsenal in the 1991 semi-final and his tackle on Gary Charles, which permanently changed his career.

Although he only played 112 times for Spurs and scored 33 goals, his ability as one of the most talented English players of all time ensures that he will be remembered as one of the best to have graced the Lane.