Ange Postecoglou always knew there would be difficult goodbyes this summer.
“I’ve got to change this squad, I have to,” the Tottenham Hotspur manager said towards the end of last season when it was clear how much work his club still had to do. “I’ve got to build a squad I think can play our football. For that to happen, there have to be exits. Sometimes, you let people go who you think: ‘He’s a good player’. But how am I going to change if I don’t do that?”
Maybe it has not been quite as painful as last summer’s window when Harry Kane left, or January when Hugo Lloris and Eric Dier left. Only Son Heung-min and Ben Davies remain as links with the Mauricio Pochettino era now.
But this summer, Spurs have still said goodbye to some of their most prominent players of what we may come to call the post-Pochettino pre-Postecoglou era: those four years of false dawns, famous managers and negative football. Tanguy Ndombele had his contract terminated and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg has left for Marseille. There was not much of a fanfare for Hojbjerg, even though he had given his all to the club for four years. Perhaps that is just the way it is when you are one of the most reliable players on a poor team.
And so to Emerson Royal. The right-back flew to Italy over the weekend to tie up a move to AC Milan, bringing to an end his three-year spell in north London. During that time, he played 101 times for Spurs — at right-back, wing-back, and as a centre-back in a two or a three. He has never been one of Tottenham’s best players and has always had to deal with the sense that they could improve on him. At times, he was even booed by the home fans.
But, despite all of that, Royal will leave with a place in the hearts of many fans; a deeper legacy than you might expect based on what he did on the pitch.
Because at first glance, Royal’s story at Spurs is unremarkable. He was signed by Fabio Paratici in the summer of 2021. This was Paratici’s first window and he was trying to pick up bargains from across Europe while bringing the average age of the Spurs squad down. The 22-year-old Royal was on the fringes at Barcelona at the time and Paratici moved just as Spurs terminated Serge Aurier’s contract.
The idea was that he would come in and play as a conventional right-back in Nuno Espirito Santo’s system. Not a bad idea for a defensively solid but technically limited player, but there was a problem. Nuno only lasted 10 league games before Antonio Conte came in and wanted to train and play in a completely different way: a hard-running 3-4-3 with wing-backs providing all the attacking width.
If Spurs still had Aurier (or an even better Kieran Trippier), they would have been well set, but Royal had to learn a role that never suited his natural game. It did not take long for opponents to learn that they could let Royal have the ball, safe in the knowledge that he would not be able to hurt them. It became an image of that early phase of Conte: Royal overlapping into space, lining up a cross, a defender easily heading away.
Spurs considered going for Adama Traore in the January 2022 window, but he ended up at Barcelona instead.
Royal lost his place to Matt Doherty in February 2022, but he got it back after the Irishman suffered an injury, and scored in a 5-1 win over Newcastle United. He was roared by the fans, just as he was when he scored from a deflected cross against Brighton, which was eventually given as a Solly March own goal.
Of course, we all know now that the positive energy from the end of that season did not last into the next year. Performances started to dip — and so did results — and everyone was looking for someone to blame. After Royal was sent off in a tight north London derby at the Emirates, some fans started to turn. They wanted Djed Spence — or even a returning Doherty — in the team instead. When Conte angrily insisted Royal had to play, it was a sign of the growing gap between him and the crowd. And Royal paid the price, unfairly booed by some fans simply for being picked to play.
Ultimately, Royal’s status at the club changed when Pedro Porro was signed from Sporting Lisbon in January 2023. Even though Royal played brilliantly immediately after the signing — especially in the 1-0 win against City — it was clear that Porro would have to come in. From then on, chances were limited: he did not feature under Cristian Stellini but came back in under Ryan Mason at the end of that season.
When Postecoglou took over in the summer of 2023, he had a new set of tactical ideas: a 4-3-3 with inverting full-backs and an emphasis on possession through midfield. It was yet another system for Royal to learn. He started well, scoring in the first game of the Postecoglou era, a 2-2 draw at Brentford — but as soon as Porro was ready, he had that right-back role locked down.
Royal’s main opportunities last season were filling in at left-back or centre-back. When he did try to invert into midfield from full-back, he never looked comfortable. He had a lot to do during Spurs’ pre-Christmas centre-back crisis and did as well as he could, without ever looking like a perfect fit.
It was ever thus for Royal at Tottenham. He never looked like a permanent fixture in the team, but when he did get a proper run under Conte, the team defended better than they have done for years before or since. He ended up playing plenty of different positions in different systems for very different managers and while his own talents were for physical solidity and one-on-one defending, he was willing to be pushed outside of his comfort zone, trying things that did not come easily to him.
And perhaps the reason so many people warmed to him was that he exuded such a sense of enjoyment about his three years at Spurs. Elite professional football is such a deadly serious industry now that supporters can sometimes warm to someone who plays like they are having fun with their friends.
Who could possibly forget Royal’s legendary no-look pass in a Champions League game against Sporting, when Spurs were on top and chasing a goal? (The ball rolled beyond Bryan Gil and out for a goal kick.) Or the high-production compilation videos he made of his own performances — music and visual effects to accompany his diligent tackling, blocking and defensive headers. Or the moment against Marseille when referee Slavko Vincic tried to send off Chancel Mbemba and dropped his card, allowing Royal to pick it up and brandish it instead.
It often feels as if modern football is shorn of characters. And while Tottenham will probably be able to replace Royal as a utility player who can fill in at right-back or centre-back, replacing his personality might be harder.
(Top image: Julian Finney/Getty Images)