Highlights
The number nine shirt at Tottenham is prestigious, signifying top strikers who deliver consistently.
Jimmy Greaves wore the shirt briefly, but he is more famous for wearing the number eight and ten shirts.
Bobby Smith tops the list, leading with impressive goal-scoring stats during Spurs' most successful era.
Numbers on football shirts hold immense significance around the world. They may not hold any true 'power' over others, but their prestige and history mean the best players around the globe always want to wear the 'best numbers'. The number nine shirt is one of the most popular for strikers.
Immediately, it highlights that they are the number-one striker for the season. It brings a weight of expectation, knowing they should latch onto the ball, create space in the final third and regularly find the back of the net. That's never easy to replicate, especially in one of the hardest competitions in the world, the Premier League. Tottenham Hotspur stars have found out just how hard it can be to shine in the number nine shirt over the years.
Due to this, we have decided to rank the nine greatest players to wear the number nine shirt at Tottenham. However, it's important to note that some legendary players did wear the number nine shirt, but it was such a short period of time that they have not been included — Ricky Villa and Osvaldo Ardiles fall under this category. Meanwhile, before numbers were set for the whole season, several players wore more than one number during a campaign, including Chris Waddle.
Ranking Factors
Longevity - The number of club appearances and their consistency — including how long they wore the shirt for.
Output - Key attacking metrics such as goals and assists.
'Eye test' - Whether they were capable of causing defenders nightmares.
Years in the number nine shirt: 1999-2003
Les Ferdinand supported Spurs as a youngster. They were his boyhood club, so when they signed him for £6 million from Queens Park Rangers, it was a dream come true. In his first three seasons, he scored just 12 goals as injury heavily impacted his time at White Hart Lane.
However, just as he took the number nine shirt in 1999, he started to shine, scoring 10 goals in the 2000/01 campaign and a further 15 in the following season. There's no doubt he was not one of Tottenham's greatest strikers ever, but his prolonged spell in the shirt - whilst always showing immense determination - means he features on this list.
Years in the number nine shirt: 2020-2021
Everyone knows Gareth Bale. Converted from a pacey left-back to one of the greatest wingers of all time, the Welshman was a role model for so many, carrying an inconsistent Spurs team on his back. That came during his first spell at the club, yet what is sometimes forgotten is that he returned on loan for the 2020/21 season as Spurs' number nine, which is being focused on for this list.
At that point, he was reaching the end of his career, yet he still managed to score 16 goals in 34 matches. He dropped deep, played centrally and ran down memory lane. Most notably, his stunning first goal of the season at home to Brighton showcased his transition from a winger to a header-focused number nine. The only downside is that it was all behind closed doors.
Years in the number nine shirt: 1985-1989
Plying his trade as an attacking playmaker, Chris Waddle was not a conventional number nine. However, Waddle, who is one of England's greatest players of all time, joined the club in 1985 for £590,000 and made an immense impact during his four years at the club.
From either side, he was a constant threat, but he remarkably never won a trophy, only picking up the individual Player of the Year award in 1988. 41 goals in 165 matches was a phenomenal record for him — and Spurs fans have always believed it was a shame he had to be sold due to financial woes.
Years in the number nine shirt: 1992-1999
During the 1990s, Spurs failed to succeed compared to their biggest rivals, Arsenal, but that does not mean they did not have several world-class players. Darren Anderton had a nine-year spell as the club's number nine, despite being a winger, not a striker. He typically dazzled his way past opponents, always looking to beat them one-on-one and break into the final third.
In a similar role to Heung-min Son, he enjoyed picking up goal contributions as well, registering 110 in 351 matches. His longevity places him higher than some of the best Tottenham players of all time, who wish they could have shone for as long as him.
Years in the number nine shirt: 2006-2008
There's very few players who have ever been considered so highly by Spurs fans despite being at the club for such a brief spell. However, Dimitar Berbatov went against the grain, with his elegance, style, composure and sophistication allowing him to glide through the final third.
If you wanted an entertaining player to watch, he was your man. However, the Bulgarian was feared in the final third just as much, picking up 46 goals and 29 assists in 102 matches. His form in N17 secured him a move to Manchester United, but he has forever remained a member of Tottenham's Hall of Fame — for good reason.
Years in the number nine shirt: 1951-1957
Going back through the decades, Len Duquemin set the tone for what the perfect Tottenham striker is all about — goals, goals and more goals. Over a phenomenal career, he scored 134 goals in 307 matches, which places him ninth on the all-time list. He foreshadowed his blossoming career in north London when he scored on his debut during a 5-1 win against Sheffield Wednesday, whilst he helped them win the First Division in 1951 — just a year after winning the Second Division. With the nickname of 'Reliable Len', he was known for his hard work rather than being a stylish player.
Years in the number nine shirt: 1964-1965, 1967-1968
Jimmy Greaves would typically place higher than this. He's Tottenham's second-greatest striker of all time, with only Harry Kane judged above him. However, most of his spell came in the number eight or ten shirt. With 268 goals throughout his time in north London, he stood as the club's record goalscorer until a particular England captain came along. His ability to find space in the final third and produce powerful shots out of nothing was masterful — and he will forever be a Spurs legend. "Give him an inch and he'll take a mile," the famous saying goes; that summed him up perfectly.
GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Greaves scored 15 hat-tricks at Spurs — a club record.
Years in the number nine shirt: 1967-1976
In the era following Greaves, Martin Chivers plied his trade as a world-class striker in the final shirt. As a classic number nine who found space in the box and consistently fired home goals, he helped them win the UEFA Cup in 1972. In that season, he scored 44 times in 64 first-team appearances, whilst he saved his most impressive form for the actual European competition, scoring eight times in 11 matches to help the club to victory. The striker was billed as 'Big Chiv' for his sturdy physique, natural strength, fast speed, big movements, and flashy shooting technique, which now sees him named a legend in N17.
Years in the number nine shirt: 1956-1964
Finally, Bobby Smith has been ranked as Tottenham's greatest-ever number nine. Wearing the famous shirt for eight years, he dominated matches, acting as a true striker who always looked lethal. It came during Spurs' most successful spell in their history, as they became the first-ever English side to complete the double in 1961 and the first side from the nation to win a European competition in 1963.
In the double-winning campaign, he was the club's top scorer with 33 goals scored in 43 games, including the first of the two goals in the 1961 FA Cup Final. His longevity places him at the top of his list, knowing it's unlikely the north London side will ever have a more consistent number nine.