Highlights
Tottenham's motto 'to dare is to do' focuses on attacking, but they've still had legendary centre-backs over the years.
Tottenham's defensive legacy includes players like Gary Mabbutt, Graham Roberts, and Jan Vertonghen.
Mike England, Harry Clarke, and other lesser-known defenders have also made significant contributions to Spurs over the years.
Tottenham Hotspur's motto, Audere est facere, which translates to 'to dare is to do' in English, has been the building block for the club ever since its creation. It's all about passion, belief and a non-stop attacking intensity which sends the opposition into a spiral. Defensive managers Antonio Conte and Jose Mourinho both struggled to win over fans due to their perceived 'negativity' on the pitch.
However, despite Spurs often focusing on attacking and dreaming, they have had countless world-class centre-backs play for them over the years. Maybe they are not considered the greatest players of all time, potentially not even the best centre-backs ever, but they won over the Spurs faithful with their aggressive tackles and celebrations.
When trophies are so hard to come by in Tottenham's case, the least they wanted is defenders who 'explode' once they perform a stunning slide tackle. Several players have over the years — and due to this, we have ranked the nine greatest Tottenham centre-backs of all time. From the modern day to the 1950s, it spans the best years of the club.
Ranking Factors
Importance to team - If they were seen as a key player, they have been ranked higher.
Longevity - Spurs had several players who failed to make the list as other stars shone for a longer period of time.
Clean Sheets and goals conceded - If they performed well statistically, they have been included on the list.
Mike England might not be the most well-known name on this list, but he had a career most can only dream of. He signed for Spurs from Blackburn Rovers at the start of the 1966/67 season and, the following May, they won the FA Cup, beating bitter rivals Chelsea 2-1 in the final.
A handful of years later, he continued to rack up the silverware by winning the League Cup in 1971 and 1973, whilst tasting European success with the UEFA Cup in between. England proved to be the missing link in the Tottenham defence, as his strength and composure in the backline proved crucial.
Cristian Romero is one of the best centre-backs in the world. The dark side of his game is a reckless, hot-headed and frantic Argentine who struggles to control his emotions, but the other side is a maturing centre-back who reads the game to perfection. His dark side is slowly ending, as the former Juventus centre-back learns to be an experienced figure in the backline. Even when he is composed, the Argentine still races into stunning and aggressive slide tackles. Attackers always know what to expect, but they can very rarely get past it. With Romero signalling his love for the club, he might move up this list very quickly.
Just like England, Harry Clarke is a trip into history. He was Spurs' centre-back in the 1951 title-winning side, as they finished four points clear of Manchester United to taste national success for the first time. Clarke initially joined in 1949, and over the next seven seasons, he went on to make nearly 300 appearances. Spurs were famous for the tactics 'push and run' at the time — and Clarke was a key figure in that, particularly as his dominance in the air allowed the Lilywhites to consistently win the ball. He retired in 1956 to take up a role in the coaching department, cementing his legacy at the club.
Maurice Norman sadly passed away at the end of 2022, leading to an emotional moment for the defender at Spurs' next match. It allowed everyone to realise just how important he was, with the older fans reminiscing about his importance for the club. He signed for Tottenham Hotspur in November 1955 for a £28,000 transfer fee from Norwich, before remarkably staying at White Hart Lane for 11 years until 1965. He was an integral part of Bill Nicholson's double-winning Tottenham team of the 1960/1961 season that went on to retain the FA Cup in 1962 and win the Cup Winners' Cup in 1963.
During the greatest years under Argentine manager Mauricio Pochettino, Toby Alderweireld was a staple figure. The Belgian joined Spurs from Atletico Madrid — and, even then, he was expected to be a transformational defensive figure. He did exactly that, as he helped Tottenham to regularly finish in the top four places, even competing for the title in 2016 and 2017. Alderweireld played a major role in the club reaching the 2019 Champions League final. They didn't win it, and the Belgian failed to win a single trophy in N17, but his elegance and composure made him one of the best Belgians in Premier League history.
"Super Jan" was a fan favourite at White Hart Lane throughout his eight-year spell, with the Belgian proving to be one of the best centre-backs in the world. In truth, Jan Vertonghen was Alderweireld's partner in crime. They were almost impossible to split on the pitch, as their communication and personal dynamic helped Spurs form one of the best defences in the world.
In a high line, Vertonghen had the pace and composure to rarely look in danger. Some of his most iconic moments came at full-back, including a Champions League Round of 16 match against Borussia Dortmund in 2019, where he registered a goal and an assist from the position.
Moving back through the decades, in 1980, Graham Roberts joined Tottenham from Weymouth for £35,000. That might have sounded like a quiet transfer at the time, but it quickly proved to be one of Spurs' smartest transfers ever. Roberts was a member of the impressive Tottenham side of the early 1980s, winning the FA Cup in 1981 and 1982.
Epitomising his talent, with Steve Perryman suspended, Roberts captained the side as Tottenham won the 1984 UEFA Cup, scoring in the second leg of the final against Anderlecht. His ability to step up and take leadership duties in the biggest match of the season is why he is ranked high on this list.
In the same era at Roberts, Gary Mabbutt made a name for himself at Spurs — and he is now considered a club legend. He joined Tottenham in 1982 from Bristol Rovers, and within two years, he won the UEFA Cup, before captaining them to victory in the 1991 FA Cup Final. However, it wasn't all plain sailing for him.
In the 1987 FA Cup Final against Coventry City, he scored to put Spurs 2-1 ahead, but, in extra time, he scored an own-goal to give the Midlands side a 3-2 victory. It was heartbreak for Mabbutt. However, loyalty is one of the most important things in football; Mabbutt had it in abundance over 16 years in N17.
Finally, Ledley King has been ranked as Tottenham's greatest centre-back of all time. As an aggressive, powerful and determined centre-back, he brought world-class talent to Spurs' faltering backline at the time. Even Thierry Henry, one of the greatest French players of all time, said he was the toughest defender to play against.
King helped Spurs win the Carling Cup in 2008, his only trophy with them, but his career always had a case of what if. He missed countless matches through injury, but the chant "Oh, Ledley, Ledley, he's only got one knee, he's better than John Terry, Oh Ledley, Ledley" sums him up perfectly — a legend in every sense.
GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Ledley King missed over 100 games through knee injuries throughout his career.