When you are an institution as old as Tottenham Hotspur, you have the privilege to have had on board some exceptional individuals who represent you on the pitch and in doing so leave an indelible mark in your history books.
In this article, we present to you our top 10 picks for the greatest Tottenham Hotspur players of all time.
From the famous White Hart Lane to the brand-new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, a few players have etched their names into the annals of club history. They have been an inspiration for decades thanks to their talent, enthusiasm, and dedication. To access their matches from anywhere in the world, consider using one of the Best VPNs available. Stay glued to your seats as we dig into the careers of some of Tottenham’s greatest players of all time.
Jimmy Greaves
You know you’ve done well when your name remains prevalent in a club’s mythos decades after your time. Such is the case with Jimmy “Greavsey” Greaves, who terrorised opposition defences during the Lilywhites’ trophy-winning days of the ’60s, racking up a goals tally so high that it would not be beaten until Harry Kane’s final season at the club, standing tall at 266 goals in 379 appearances.
Glenn Hoddle
Glenn Hoddle was one of the handful of Englishmen who were known at the top level for their flair and creativity at a time when “grit” and “physicality” really were the order of the day in British football. During his 12 years at White Hart Lane, Hoddle brought to the club not only domestic silverware but also a UEFA Cup in 1984.
Paul Gascoigne
“Gazza” was nothing if not an eccentric. Remembered even today for his antics, both good and bad, Gascoigne was another one of the flair boys and was part of the last Spurs side to have won the FA Cup, in 1991. Having spent four years at Spurs, he made 111 appearances for Spurs, delivering 33 goals and 6 assists.
Steve Perryman
This one-cap England international may not be regarded much outside of North London, but if you’ve made over 800 appearances for a club, it’s fair to say you’re entitled to an accolade or two.
Perryman’s career at Spurs alone spanned three different decades as he made 854 appearances for them between 1969 and 1986, joining their senior side at a time of relative decline after their glory years of the early ’60s and leaving them in their silverware-collecting heyday of the ’80s.
Danny Blanchflower
Another name for the readers of a certain age, Danny Blanchflower was the leader of the Spurs side that tasted success in the ’50s and ’60s. The Northern Irishman midfielder was an operator ahead of his time, playing a deep-lying midfield role with a keen eye for unlocking defences with just a pass and advocating for attacking football decades before the idea would be entertained widely in the British isles.
Ledley King
A one-club man, King is a modern great in the Tottenham folklore. Another club great with a stint spanning across three decades, King racked up over 300 appearances for Spurs despite struggling with injuries throughout his career. He captained the last Tottenham side to have brought home silverware, having led the 2008 side that beat Chelsea to the Football League Cup.
Gareth Bale
When talking about modern Tottenham greats, it’s hard to not mention Gareth Bale. Having arrived at White Hart Lane in 2007 from Southampton as a scrawny left-back with a lot of pace and a penchant for going forward, the Welshman left for Real Madrid six years later in a three-figure world-record move as one of the most lethal forwards in world football.
Over the next decade, Bale would go on to establish himself as one of the most successful footballers ever, return to Spurs for a half-promising season, and move to the US for one last trophy before quitting the sport altogether before turning 35.
Hugo Lloris
A World Cup winner with France, Lloris is another modern Spurs great who led from the back both his national and club sides. Arriving from Lyon in 2012, Lloris would go on to spend 12 years at Hotspur Way, racking up almost 450 appearances before moving to the US in the winter of his career.
Son Heung-min
As we come down to the last two, the picks become a bit obvious.
Son Heung-min will have completed a decade at Spurs by the time the 2024/25 season ends. Given his nationality, the cultural importance he has had in catapulting Spurs to the status of a veritable global giant of an institution is unquestionable.
An out-and-out superstar both in North London and back in South Korea, Son has under his belt over 400 appearances for Spurs while being fifth on the all-time top goal-scorers list for the club. He can be expected to take the No.4 spot by the end of this season.
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Harry Kane
Currently one of the best forwards in world football, Harry Kane needs little introduction and even fewer words to explain his inclusion in such a list.
It’s hard to think now, but Kane’s senior career in the early years struggled to get off the mark. Having had at best semi-promising loan spells in the lower English tiers after breaking into the senior Spurs setup in 2009, it wasn’t until the 2014/15 season that an injury-ridden Spurs side called for Kane’s aid, on the back of which he went on such a goal-scoring spree in the first of that season’s Europa League that picking him for the league games became unavoidable.
The rest, as they say, is history.
