Football.London

We're getting to the crux of the matter now. football.london is spending this international break counting down the best 25 Tottenham players of the last 25 years.

We started this list on Monday with numbers 25-21 and followed it up with numbers 20 to 16 on Tuesday. And now we're getting close to the big top ten.

Today it's time for us to reveal our numbers 15 through to 11 on the list of the best 25 players to wear the Lilywhite shirt since the turn of the century.

But it's not just about us, we want you to have your say too. You have already been voting, but you can still get your votes in too and we will reveal the fans vote once we've counted down our football.london top 25.

All you have to do is pick your favourite five (just five please) from the poll below.

Spurs best 25 players poll

This is sure to cause some debate, and we're here for it. You can tell us what you think of our rankings in the comments section below.

Djed Spence has revealed that James Maddison is always there to offer him advice at Tottenham. Previously looking to be on his way out of the club after three different loans spells in his first two seasons in north London, the full-back is now one of the first names on the teamsheet for Ange Postecoglou.

The 24-year-old and Maddison would appear to have formed quite a strong bond at the club, with Spence going on to state that his teammate is "one of the best" players in the Premier League. Spurs vice-captain Maddison has enjoyed a good season in a Tottenham shirt after contributing 11 goals and seven assists so far and he has also captained the team on a few occasions.

Amid question marks over the amount of leaders in the Tottenham team considering their results this season, Spence has given a good example of Maddison's influence behind the scenes.

“I would say Madders," said the full-back when asked on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast about who is giving him useful advice. "He’s there for me, makes sure I’m ready before games, even after games, and he’ll text me if he’s not in the squad because of injury, and be like, 'Djed, you know what to do today, or I want to see this from you'. Madders supports me a lot to be fair.”

On Maddison, Spence added: "He's a top player. For me he's one of the best in the Premier League, you cannot discredit him. When he's in the team he's someone we can look to and he can make the difference. He's a pivotal part of the team is Madders."

Spence also went on to give an insight into Son Heung-min's role as Tottenham captain. The South Korean may not be the most vocal leader compared to some but he sets a big example for the rest of his teammates.

“I mean, depends on what you want from your captain, like you say, he’s not your typical…shouting and stuff and digging people out. I feel like, he’s more like, lead by example, you know," explained Spence.

“In early every day, does the right things and just sets the example on the pitch, trains hard every day and when it comes to matchday, he gives his best so I think his numbers speak for themselves and in that regard, shows the example like that.”

Romero fitness boost, Bergvall absence and Donley's Spurs future - click here to listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham

Jude Bellingham has sent a three-word message to James Maddison after the Tottenham midfielder was spotted playing football with children in United Arab Emirates.

Maddison, 28, has had a mixed season at Spurs, scoring 11 goals and adding seven assists in 38 matches. It's a respectable return considering he has been in and out of Ange Postecoglou's starting XI, though it wasn't enough to earn the former Leicester City star a recall to the England squad.

He was not included in Thomas Tuchel's 26-man contingent for the World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia and instead travelled to the UAE during the international break.

In an Instagram post on Tuesday, Maddison revealed that while in the Middle East he played football with his local children alongside ex-Spurs teammate Ryan Sessegnon and Newcastle left-back Matt Targett.

Accompanied with a video of Maddison dribbling and diving into a tackle while playing with the children, he said in a caption: "Speaking the language of football with young lads who just love the beautiful game," alongside a folded hands emoji, the flag for United Arab Emirates emoji, sun emoji and white heart emoji.

In the comments section, Real Madrid sensation Bellingham posted a wholesome message to his England colleague. He said: "one of one," accompanied with a red heart emoji.

Maddison is expected to return to Tottenham this week to prepare for their next game, a Premier League clash with Chelsea on Thursday, April 3. It will mark Spurs' return to action after an almost three-week hiatus following their drab 2-0 defeat at Fulham before the international break.

After they were beaten at Craven Cottage, Postecoglou cut a frustrated figure. He said: "We can't let this league season go the way it has. We've lost way too many games, unacceptable. I understand the supporters' frustrations with that. It was another day where we let a game get away from us when we shouldn't.

"We had chances to go 1-0 up which would have put pressure on them, then they scored a really soft goal. Today the opposition haven't blown us off the park. For 75 minutes we were where we wanted to be, the fact we came out of that game with nothing is disappointing."

Djed Spence has revealed the Tottenham squad "would literally do the same session every day" with Antonio Conte in training at Hotspur Way. Joining Spurs in the summer of 2022 after wowing on loan at Nottingham Forest the previous campaign, Spence teamed up with Conte in N17 but he saw very little football under the Italian.

Spence would be limited to six substitute appearances for Tottenham in the first half of the 2022/23 campaign, with a 25-minute cameo appearance at former club Forest the longest he got on the pitch. Subsequently joining Rennes on loan for the remainder of the season due to his limited opportunities at Spurs, Spence would never get to play for Conte again after the head coach parted ways with Tottenham in March 2023.

Getting a fresh opportunity under new Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou a few months later, the full-back would depart on loan for the full season before forcing his way into the Australian's plans this season. Speaking on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, Spence opened up on the key differences in the training sessions between the two head coaches and revealed that there is more variety when it comes to the training Postecoglou plans.

“I feel like with Conte [training] was very repetitive. We would literally do the same session every day, literally every day with no change," he explained.

"With Ange, it’s a bit different. We do change it. We do certain drills every day but it's a bit different, whether it's a different passing drill or just different attacks we do and he switches it up quite a bit. With Conte it was like this is it."

Spence is now a key member of the Tottenham team and virtually an undroppable after his starring role operating from left-back. Postecoglou requires his full-backs to invert and it is something his player has really taken on in what is his first full season playing this way.

"I feel comfortable, it's not natural," he admitted. "This is my first season actually doing it in an inverting position, but I feel like I'm a quick learner so I think things come naturally to me very quick."

He added: "We train on these things every day. The manager is very heavy on how he wants us to play. He has a specific way of playing and that's what we try to do."

Tottenham's style of play may have come under fire during Postecoglou's time at the club but their attacking brand of football is something the players really do enjoy.

"He's our manager so we have to follow suit and buy into it as well," said Spence. "The players enjoy it. It's a fun way of playing to be fair, it's attacking. Me as a full-back I get to go forward a lot and get to be inside the middle of the park where all the commotion is. I enjoy it, I think it's good "

Romero fitness boost, Bergvall absence and Donley's Spurs future - click here to listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham

Trent Alexander-Arnold has dominated the headlines on Tuesday with a summer transfer to Real Madrid in the pipeline. Linked with a move to the Santiago Bernabeu for quite some time with his Liverpool contract due to expire this summer, talkSPORT has reported that the England international has agreed to join Los Blancos from next season.

A move to the Spanish capital will see Alexander-Arnold link up with good friend and England teammate Jude Bellingham at the home of the 15-times Champions League winners. The Liverpool right-back has made a huge impression since breaking into the Liverpool team under Jurgen Klopp and he will undoubtedly go down as one of the best right-backs in Premier League history.

Alexander-Arnold's attributes have been noted by many, with Spurs full-back Djed Spence someone who has been left very impressed by the 26-year-old. Speaking on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, Spence was asked to name the one attribute he could take from any full-back in the world football.

Spence went on to namecheck Alexander-Arnold and claimed that the attribute he would take from him "is a joke". He said: "Trent's crossing. His crossing is a joke."

As well as discussing Alexander-Arnold's ability with the ball at his feet, the versatile Spurs full-back also went on to talk about another two Liverpool players after he was asked to name the best centre-backs in the Premier League.

"Yeah, [Virgil] Van Dijk," said Spence. "[William] Saliba is a top centre-back and my teammate Micky [Van de Ven] actually. He's top, he's top. I think he can get to the very, very top. In terms of centre-back, those two."

On Ibrahima Konate, he added: "I rate him, he's a top defender. I think after Virgil, Saliba is the next centre-back."

Romero fitness boost, Bergvall absence and Donley's Spurs future - click here to listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham

Djed Spence believes that Tottenham teammate Micky van de Ven can "get to the very, very top" in football. Signed from Wolfsburg in the summer of 2023, the Dutchman was a standout player in Ange Postecoglou's first season as Spurs boss after adapting incredibly quickly to the Premier League.

Not only impressing with his defensive attributes, the 23-year-old's ability on the ball was also noted as was his blistering pace. Spence and Van de Ven may not have featured together in the 2023/24 campaign due to the full-back's two loan moves away from the club but they have had a handful of opportunities to play together for Tottenham this term.

Speaking on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, Spence was asked to name the best centre-backs in the Premier League and he duly namechecked his Spurs colleague.

"Yeah, [Virgil] Van Dijk. [William] Saliba is a top centre-back and my teammate Micky actually," revealed the Tottenham man. "He's top, he's top. I think he can get to the very, very top. In terms of centre-back, those two."

Spence was then asked for his thoughts on Ibrahima Konate, who partners Van Dijk at the heart of Liverpool's defence. He said: "I rate him, he's a top defender. I think after Virgil, Saliba is the next centre-back."

Following a change in topic to full-backs, Spence was quizzed on the full-back he looked towards when trying to make a name for himself in the game. "I always looked at Kyle Walker to be fair," explained the 24-year-old. "What a player, phenomenal player, what he's done in the game.

"For me, the right-back in Premier League history. He's an animal. Physicality, good at going forward, good at defending. I'd probably say him is the level I want to get to."

Romero fitness boost, Bergvall absence and Donley's Spurs future - click here to listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham

Mathys Tel will return to Hotspur Way in confident mood after hitting a double for France Under-21s on Monday evening. Joining Tottenham on loan from Bayern Munich at the end of the January transfer window, Spurs do have the option to sign the youngster for £45.8million in the summer.

However, Ange Postecoglou's words at the beginning of February do already seem to suggest that Tel will be remaining in north London beyond the end of the campaign. Getting plenty of game time since his move due to the absence of Dominic Solanke and Richarlison in attack, Tel has one goal in seven games since swapping Bavaria for N17.

Tel has been an unused substitute on a couple of occasions for Tottenham but he did look sharper when deployed on the left-wing in the recent 2-0 defeat against Fulham, notably forcing Bernd Leno into a smart save with a curling effort. Having quite the challenge on his hands to secure a first-team place with virtually all of the team's attackers now back from injury, the international break was always going to be important for the player to help give him a boost for the remainder of the season.

The 19-year-old could only watch on from the bench last Friday as Hugo Ekitike scored a hat-trick in France Under-21s' 5-3 win over their English counterparts. Tel would replace the Eintracht Frankfurt hotshot for the final 24 minutes of the contest but he unfortunately did not get his name on the scoresheet in his limited pitch time.

Back in action on Monday with an away fixture against Slovenia Under-21s, Tel was named in France's front three and operated from the left flank in what was a much-changed XI. The Spurs loanee made an immediate impact on proceedings with a goal from the left on 20 minutes after receiving the ball on the edge of the area

Drifting into the box with two opponents closing him down, the attacker expertly found the far corner with a curling effort that gave the goalkeeper no chance. His second goal of the contest three minutes later was just as impressive as he lifted the ball over the advancing Adam Danko.

His strike all came about from a smart piece of movement across his marker to get on the end of Arnaud Kalimuendo's precise through ball. Tel didn't even need a touch to steady himself as he dinked the ball over the shot-stopper from 15 yards out to double his and France's tally.

It was a sumptuous finish and certainly not one of a player maybe lacking in confidence after scoring once in seven games for Tottenham so far. Tel's night would come to an end on 64 minutes as Thierno Barry replaced him with the team 3-0 to the good.

Tottenham teammate Wilson Odobert, who teed up two of Ekitike's hat-trick three days earlier, came on for the final 14 minutes of the contest as France Under-21s secured a 4-0 win. Both Odobert and Tel have enjoyed strong international breaks for their country and the hope will be that they can carry on their good form when Spurs take on Chelsea and Southampton prior to face Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League quarter-finals.

In terms of Tel, patience is perhaps going to be needed when it comes to the French youngster wowing on the Premier League stage as he needs to fully adapt to life in England. Postecoglou made that point at the beginning of March, mentioning that people will realise what a talent his player is once used properly.

"The reason I took him off is I just thought we needed a spark, we needed something. It wasn't about him because I could have taken of any one of a number of players. It's just it felt like I needed something to change the course of events," said the Australian the day after their round of 16 defeat away at AZ Alkmaar.

"Mathys came in a really tricky time for us in that it's different if you haven't been playing regularly and then jump in but he's kind of been trying to build up his fitness. At the same time we've been putting him out there pretty regularly because of our lack of options. He's still a young man, it's a different league and there are different demands. Certainly at the moment we are not in our best moment like last night when he is going to get loads of chances.

"Again, working with him since he came in, he's got a really strong head on his shoulders and last night, as disappointed as he was to come off, it didn't seem to affect him in terms of his mental aptitude to deal with it and get on with it and try and make an impact in the best way he can.

"It's fair to say we've put a lot on a very young player and introduced him to our league. I remember Lucas [Bergvall] was a similar one at the beginning of the year. He struggled a little bit in certain games, especially in Europe. He struggled a couple of times but over time we've seen him flourish and I'm sure once we can get Dom back in and hopefully Richy not too far in the future, we can use him in the way we want to."

Starting from the left side in Tottenham's last Premier League game, Tel will have his fingers crossed that he has done enough to earn another starting berth for the trip to Chelsea. Ahead of the club's final decision on the £45.8million transfer deal this summer, Tel has nine Premier League games to make his case and hopefully five more in the Europa League.

A positive international break and a very impressive double against Slovenia will hopefully be a sign of things to come for him in a Tottenham shirt.

Romero fitness boost, Bergvall absence and Donley's Spurs future - click here to listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham

Welcome to the second part of our football.london countdown of the top 25 Tottenham players of the last 25 years. We began our countdown yesterday with numbers 25 through to 21 and next up we've got the next five players on the list.

Tottenham have had a number of high-profile, top-quality players in the last quarter of a century and we are working our way through the best of the best.

You can have your say on who you think are the best players in the most recent Spurs history in our poll below. It's not just about us and what we think. Pick your top five by using the poll below.

Spurs best 25 players poll

Some of the Spurs legends on this list played at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday afternoon as they beat AC Milan Glorie 6-2 in an epic tussle.

We'll get to some of those names right now with this rundown of numbers 20 to 16 and there will be more to come in the coming days. This is sure to cause some debate, and we're here for it. You can tell us what you think of our rankings in the comments section below.

Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur will be keen to know whether Manchester City were successful in their legal battle against the Premier League. In February 2023, the competition charged its champions with 115 alleged breaches of financial regulations.

These include accusations that the club failed to provide accurate financial information and failed to cooperate with investigations across nine seasons (2009/10 to 2017/18). Man City strongly deny any wrongdoing, so they looked to prove their innocence in front of an independent panel.

‌The case – which was heard in private at the International Dispute Resolution Centre in London – concluded at the end of last year. A three-man panel have been reviewing the evidence, and they're expected to announce a final verdict soon.

It's said that if Man City are found guilty, they could be hit with a financial penalty, point deduction or even have Premier League trophies stripped. So, with that being said, football.london has looked at what honours Man City could surrender.

Manchester United – 2011/12

Man City won their first of three Premier League titles during the nine-season window in 2011/12. Sergio Aguero fired Roberto Mancini's side to glory with a historic strike against QPR in the final moments of stoppage time on the last day of the season.

Not only was it the club's first English top-flight honour since 1967/68, but also they denied Manchester United a 20th title. If Man City were to be stripped of their honours, this trophy would be handed to the Red Devils.

Liverpool – 2013/14

Despite Luis Suarez's best efforts, picking up the golden boost and winning player of the season, Liverpool missed out on the Premier League in 2013/14 by two points. The Reds, quite literally, let their lead slip away from them.

They recorded the longest winning streak (11 games) and the longest unbeaten run (16 games). Brendan Rodgers' side also enjoyed the biggest away win of the season, defeating Tottenham Hotspur 5-0 in December. Meanwhile, Arsenal finished fourth behind Chelsea in third.

Manchester United – 2017/18

Man City won their third of three Premier League titles during the nine-season window in 2017/18. With Pep Guardiola now in the dugout, the Spaniard managed to notch 100 points and won the English top-flight by an astounding 19 point margin.

Mohamed Salah won the golden boot with 32 goals to his name, yet Liverpool only managed to finish fourth. Meanwhile, Arsenal finished sixth, missing out of European football, and Chelsea ranked fifth, securing qualification to the UEFA Europa League.

The Europa League may be Tottenham's ultimate goal between now and May but there is still so much riding on the Premier League for the north London club. Finishing fifth in Ange Postecoglou's first season in charge, a top-half finish looks unlikely this term as things stand right now.

In a season where injuries have hit the club hard, Tottenham are 14th after 29 games. The team's positive goal difference of 12 is the reason they are in their current position and not further down the standings as Everton and West Ham in 15th and 16th respectively are also on 34 points.

Tottenham are ten points adrift of Bournemouth in tenth heading into the business end of the term and they have an awful lot to do if they are to finish in the top half. Not only do they need to put a consistent run of wins together to try and leapfrog those ahead of them in the table, they also need results to go their way.

As ever, Premier League clubs will receive a merit payment for their position in the final table. The final figure has fluctuated in previous seasons but it is usually around the £3.1million mark, which comprises of £1.7million for their UK merit payment and just over £1.4million for the international merit payment.

So, the Premier League's bottom club, which is currently Southampton, will earn a financial reward of £3.1million for coming 20th. Each position after that increases by £3.1million, with the champions expected to secure a total of £62.3million.

For finishing fifth last campaign, Tottenham will have brought in a total of £49.9million. However, that will not be the case come the end of May unless there is a quite remarkable ending to the season in which they profit from.

As things stand right now, Tottenham would earn around £21.8million from finishing 14th. A 16th-place finish, however, and that figure would drop to £15.6million.

Tottenham would be looking at roughly £34.3million if they can finish tenth come the final day of the season when they host Brighton & Hove Albion at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. If that is not possible, 11th is worth £31.1million, 12th £28million and 13th £24.9million.

Tottenham look in line for a huge loss in merit payment money from last May but they could potentially bring in a tidy sum if they win the Europa League. The Lilywhites have so far secured £11.959million in prize money from their European campaign so far and there is the possibility to bring a further cash windfall.

Providing that Tottenham triumph in Europe then they can earn an extra £14.49million on top of the money they have banked so far, thus making it a grand total of just shy of £26.5million in prize money. The Europa League may be the priority for Spurs in what remains of the season, and something which is rather lucrative, but finishing as high as possible in the Premier League is also very important to the club from a financial point of view.

Romero fitness boost, Bergvall absence and Donley's Spurs future - click here to listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham