Planet Football

Ange Postecoglou is facing the pressure at Tottenham after their recent results have left them increasingly adrift in the race for Champions League qualification.

Having come from behind, Spurs were unable to hold onto their lead against Wolves on Sunday and ended up drawing 2-2. It’s now just one win from their last seven Premier League outings, a run of form that leaves them languishing in the bottom half of the table.

The recent form leaves Postecoglou second in the bookmakers’ odds for the next Premier League manager to be sacked. He’s under no illusions himself over what a continuation of this form would mean for his future at the club.

“The reality is there is no job security,” the Australian told reporters at a press conference back in October.

“I don’t know what job security looks like. What is the average tenure of a manager these days?

“If you think I’m going to be around for five years that is highly unlikely.

“If you worry about those things and I think you end up chasing your tail a little bit and probably making decisions for the wrong reasons.”

But how likely is it that Postecoglou will be replaced in the Tottenham dugout in the coming days? We’ve taken a look at how Spurs’ recent record under the 59-year-old compares with the final days of his predecessors.

READ NEXT: The Premier League ‘big six’ head-to-head table of 2024-25 so far

TRY A QUIZ: Can you name every manager to take charge of Tottenham in the Premier League?

Here’s how Postecoglou’s recent results compare to Conte’s, Nuno’s, Mourinho’s and Pochettino’s before they left Tottenham:

Ange Postecoglou

Position in table: 11th

Points off top four: 11

Cup status: Semi-finals of League Cup, 9th in Europa League table

Last 10 results in Premier League:

Won: 3

Drawn: 2

Lost: 5

Goals scored: 23

Goals conceded: 18

Goal difference: +5

Points: 11

Antonio Conte (March 2023)

Position in table: 4th

Points off top four: (two clear of fifth)

Cup status: Out of League Cup (second round), out of FA Cup (fourth round)

Last 10 results in Premier League:

Won: 4

Drawn: 1

Lost: 5

Goals scored: 15

Goals conceded: 15

Goal difference: 0

Points: 13

Nuno Espirito Santo (November 2021)

Position in table: 8th

Points off top four: 5

Cup status: Conference League group stage (four points from three games), League Cup Quarters

Nine results in Premier League:

Won: 4

Drawn: 1

Lost: 4

Goals scored: 18

Goals conceded: 10

Goal difference: +8

Points: 13

Jose Mourinho (April 2021)

Position in table: 7th

Points off top four: 5

Cup status: League Cup final, eliminated in FA Cup fifth round, eliminated in Europa League Round of 16

Last 10 results in Premier League:

Won: 4

Drawn: 2

Lost: 4

Goals scored: 18

Goals conceded: 15

Goal difference: +3

Points: 14

Mauricio Pochettino (November 2019)

Position in table: 10th

Points off top four: 3

Cup status: Eliminated in League Cup third round, Champions League group stage (two wins, one draw, one defeat)

Last 10 results in Premier League:

Won: 2

Drawn: 4

Lost: 4

Goals scored: 13

Goals conceded: 14

Goal difference: -1

Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham have been ridiculously entertaining so far this season, but they don’t quite top the list of the Premier League’s all-time most entertaining sides when it comes to most goals (scored and conceded) per game.

So far this season, Spurs have scored 39 goals and conceded 26 from just 18 outings. But that (somehow) doesn’t see them top this list.

Here are 10 sides who have averaged the most goals per game in Premier League history:

Carlo Ancelotti’s Blues became the first top-flight team to reach a century of league goals since Tottenham in 1962-63, winning the Premier League title in distinctly different style to Jose Mourinho’s defensively dogged side from six years earlier.

That year Chelsea conceded 32 goals – more than twice as many as they did in 2004-05 – but that didn’t much matter because they were a force to be reckoned with going forward, reaching an eventual tally of 103 goals by mauling Wigan Athletic 8-0 on the final day.

Welcome to the Premier League, Big Ange.

In fairness to Postecoglou, he inherited a side that averaged only marginally fewer goals per game (3.5) the year before, mostly under the helm of Antonio Conte – a coach with a reputation as much more of a defensively sound pragmatist.

Shipping lots while scoring plenty just appears to be a recurring theme in the recent History Of The Tottenham.

Yet continuing to score an impressive number of goals (76) while conceding bagfuls (61) is a bit of a head-scratcher after losing all-time top goalscorer Harry Kane while investing in new goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario and centre-back Micky van de Van.

It’s just who we are, mate.

Postecoglou’s Tottenham, surprisingly enough, were not the goaliest(?) side of 2023-24. In fact, they were only fourth in terms of goals per game, while West Ham that season (60 goals scored; 74 conceded) only just miss out on cracking this top 10.

The 2023-24 season broke records in terms of goals per game with 1,246 goals scored across 380 games, an average of 3.28.

Scrappy upstarts Luton Town made their fair share of contribution to the goal fest, marking a spirited fight against the drop with a series of absorbing, high-scoring encounters. The Hatters scored 52 but were always unlikely to stay up conceding 85.

Liverpool memorably punctuated Manchester City’s era of dominance in 2019-20, marching relentlessly to the title that memorably lockdown-delayed year.

Pep Guardiola’s men were well off the pace that year, ending up 18 points behind, but while they were flawed they were anything but boring.

City scored 102 goals that year and conceded 35. Their first six games – including a 5-0, a 4-0 and an 8-0 that season featured 30 goals and they never really let up from there.

Most of the sides that make up this list either scored bagfuls or were hopeless defensively, with a liberal sprinkling of goals at the other end, but last season Unai Emery’s Aston Villa can be filed alongside the side they beat to Champions League qualification – Tottenham – in being relatively balanced between the two.

Villa conceded a mammoth tally of 61 goals last season, exactly as many as Spurs, but scored two more goals (76) and picked up two more points to pip Postecoglou’s men to fourth place.

*Ongoing

Are you not entertained?

Big Ange has doubled down on the all-out attacking tactics and we’re here for it. Recent results – including a 3-4 against Chelsea, 5-0 against Southampton 3-6 against Liverpool – suggest this rollercoaster is only going to get wilder. Strap in.

What were they putting in the water bottles last season?

It wasn’t Tottenham, nor Luton, nor even Villa that offered the biggest guarantee of goals last season.

No, it was Sheffield United – and those goals invariably tended to end up in the back of poor Wes Foderingham’s net.

Former boss Chris Wilder returned to Bramall Lane amid the club’s sorry fight against the drop, but he found himself unable to shore things up at the back.

The Blades ended up breaking the Premier League record for the most goals conceded in a Premier League campaign with a whopping 104.

They also scored 35, giving their matches an average of 3.65 goals last term.

READ NEXT: The Premier League all-time table: Liverpool ahead of Chelsea…

TRY A QUIZ: The Ultimate Premier League Nostalgia Quiz: Can you name these 30 Barclaysmen?

Manuel Pellegrini’s title-winning City were one goal short of matching the goals record set by Chelsea in 2009-10 but they also conceded 37 goals.

Results that year included a 4-1 victory in the Manchester derby, a 3-2 defeat to Aston Villa, a 6-0 mauling of Tottenham, a madcap 6-3 win over Arsenal an instant classic 3-2 loss away to Liverpool. That’s box office alright.

The only side from the first 10 years of the Premier League to feature in a top 10 dominated by the goals explosion of recent years, Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United threw off the shackles after their treble triumph the year before.

That year the title-retaining Red Devils had the worst defensive record of any side in the top six with 45 goals conceded, but they compensated for that at the other end with an outrageously free-scoring attack.

Ninety-seven goals scored was a mammoth tally in that era, with on-fire strike partnership Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole contributing 20 and 19 respectively. The likes of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Ryan Giggs, David Beckham and Paul Scholes chipped in with a healthy number, too

READ: The most boring teams in Premier League history: Arsenal, Leeds, Man City…

As mentioned above, eventual champions Manchester City were box office in 2013-14. But the runners-up were also appointment viewing.

Brendan Rodgers’ Liverpool had that wonderful combination of a hapless defence and irresistible attack, resulting in them scoring 101 goals and conceding 50.

Luis Suarez was particularly bright that year, notching 31 goals and 11 assists in just 33 appearances. But the Reds also boasted Daniel Sturridge in the form of his career, Steven Gerrard and Philippe Coutinho were close to their peaks, and a young Raheem Sterling was emerging on the scene.

At the other end, they had Simon Mignolet between the sticks and a backline often consisting of Martin Skrtel, Jon Flanagan, Glen Johnson and a slightly past-it Kolo Toure.

No wonder their games were pure chaos.

Tottenham have enjoyed some thumping victories in the Premier League era – but can you name every match where they won by five or more goals?

Some sides have come away from north London with a humiliating hiding, while Spurs also aren’t immune from recording eye-watering scorelines away from home either.

We’d like you to name their 13 biggest Premier League victories and you’ve got 10 minutes to do so. We’ve given you the season, scoreline and whether the game was home or away as your clues.

Once you’ve completed this quiz, have a go at naming Tottenham’s 25 most expensive sales in history.

If you enjoy our quizzes, head to our new Football Games home where you can search an archive of over 1,000 quizzes and play them all in beautiful full-screen mode.

Good luck, and don’t forget to tweet us your score at @planetfutebol.

Jose Mourinho’s spell at Tottenham between November 2019 and April 2021 was the least successful of his managerial career – but what became the first Spurs players sold by the Portuguese manager?

Mourinho took over from Mauricio Pochettino and dragged Spurs into the Europa League, followed by a season of rancour and inconsistency that saw Daniel Levy pull the trigger days before the League Cup final against Manchester City.

As ever, Mourinho needed to imprint his stamp on the team and did so by getting rid of five players between taking charge and the summer of 2020. Here’s what happened following their departures.

Paris Maghoma

Maghoma came through the academy at Spurs and was a regular in the Premier League 2 in the first half of the 2019-20 season.

He joined Brentford B on a permanent deal in January 2020 and remains in west London today after loan spells with Wimbledon, MK Dons and Bolton.

The midfielder made his Premier League debut for the Bees in their defeat to Aston Villa in December 2024 and is thought of highly by Thomas Frank.

Christian Eriksen

Eriksen was one of the best technical players that Spurs have had in the Premier League era. The Denmark international produced a total of 90 assists during his Tottenham career which is some going.

After leaving Tottenham, he managed to get his hands on some silverware with Inter Milan before making his Premier League return with Brentford and Manchester United.

Age seems to be catching up with Eriksen in 2024 and he’s expected to leave United next summer. But considering he literally died during Euro 2020, all of this is just an unexpected and delightful bonus for a wonderful player.

Tashan Oakley-Boothe

A month before helping England win the under-17 World Cup in 2017, Oakley-Boothe was handed his Tottenham debut as a late substitute in a League Cup victory over Barnsley.

But the midfielder never kicked on from there and that short cameo ended up being his only appearance for Spurs. He left for Stoke City in 2020, before a brief spell with Blackpool in 2023-24.

Now aged 24, Oakley-Boothe is playing in Portugal’s top flight for Estrela da Amadora.

READ NEXT: Where are they now? Tottenham’s 8 wonderkids from Football Manager 2015

TRY A QUIZ: Can you name every player Jose Mourinho used as Tottenham manager?

Victor Wanyama

Wanyama was a classy operator at Spurs, making 97 appearances for the club and chipping in with the odd thunderb*stard to endear himself to the supporters.

But his final year at the club was ruined by injuries and Mourinho took the unsentimental decision to offload the midfielder to CF Montreal in March 2020.

Since leaving the Premier League behind, Wanyama has established himself as a key performer for the MLS side. He’s already racked up 133 appearances for the club which was more than he managed at Tottenham, Southampton or Celtic.

QUIZ: Can you name the 16 players who are their nation’s only Premier League representative?

Luis Binks

Binks left Spurs in February 2020 and made the surprise move to MLS side Montreal Impact, who were then managed by Thierry Henry

“Some could see why I’ve done it, but some were saying, ‘Why has he done that?’” Binks said shortly after arriving.

“I’ve got no regrets about coming to play first-team football at the age of 18. It’s better than playing Under-23 football in front of, I don’t know, 200 people.”

“I’m happy with my decision. I’m working under the coaching staff, playing with players that are so experienced in Europe and MLS. It’s a no-brainer to come here, really.”

His time in the States was punctuated by loans back to Europe with Como and Coventry City. Binks joined the latter club permanently in 2024 and has made 14 appearances this season.

Tottenham’s academy has produced several brilliant footballers in recent years, with the likes of Harry Kane and Marcus Edwards flying the flag abroad.

But Spurs also released a few of their homegrown talents over the summer of 2024, as Ange Postecoglou shuffled his squad to help the club return to the Champions League.

We’ve taken this opportunity to check in on how they’re all faring since leaving the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Japhet Tanganga

One of the few beneficiaries of Jose Mourinho’s scorched-earth approach to managing Spurs, Tanganga played a series of games in the 2019-20 season before injuries stalled his progress.

In truth, the defender was probably not up to Tottenham’s standards but that didn’t stop the feeling of sadness when he made his loan move to Millwall permanent in the summer of 2024.

Tanganga has found a home from home in south London, regularly starting matches as Millwall push for an improbable promotion to the Premier League.

Charlie Sayers

After catching the eye at Southend United, Sayers was bought by Tottenham in December 2021 but was mainly limited to under-18 and under-21 football.

Upon being released last summer, the full-back was subject to interest from numerous EFL clubs but chose to move north of the border and signed for Scottish Championship side Patrick Thistle.

He has made one league appearance and one Scottish Challenge Cup appearance as he adjusts to life in Irn Bru territory.

Billy Heaps

Heaps was released by Spurs over the summer following the conclusion of his three-year scholarship with the club.

Originally plucked from Stevenage, the midfielder regularly turned out for Spurs’ under-18 side, but has been unable to find a club over the past six months.

Still, Heaps is only 19 and we’re sure somebody will take a chance on the youngster sooner rather than later.

READ NEXT: Where are they now? Tottenham’s 8 wonderkids from Football Manager 2015

TRY A QUIZ: Can you name Tottenham’s top 30 goalscorers in the Premier League?

Kieran Morgan

Following 10 years on the books at Tottenham, Morgan moved across London this summer and signed for Championship side QPR.

A player who is comfortable in possession and also likes to carry the ball forward, the defensive midfielder was originally intended for QPR’s under-21 side but has made eight first-team appearances as the west Londoners struggle at the bottom of the second tier.

His composure under difficult circumstances has impressed the Loftus Road faithful and Morgan scored his first career goal in a 1-1 draw with Coventry in October.

“He played fantastic. He has a big personality,” QPR boss Marti Cifuentes said afterwards.

“That’s a little bit of the trend he has been showing since he joined in the summer. He came here at 17 years old and now he’s 18.

“He’s been showing a lot of good things and getting some minutes these last games because that is what he has been pushing for. We felt that today he could be a part of the team and he has done very well.

“I am very happy for him with the way he played and the personality he showed, playing against a team at the top of the table, asking for the ball all the time, being crucial in our build-up play and crucial in how we attack in the last third.

“Very, very good signal for not only him but for the club that we have the possibility to give opportunities to academy players and that they can perform at this level.”

QUIZ: Can you name every player Ange Postecoglou has used at Tottenham?

Han Willhoft-King

Willhoft-King joined the Tottenham academy aged six, progressing through the ranks being named by The Guardian as the best player in his age-group at the club in September 2022.

But he turned down a contract offer from Spurs two years later and was snapped up by Manchester City over the summer.

The midfielder, who is eligible for England, China, Chinese Taipei, Germany, India, Indonesia and the USA at international level due to his family heritage, has made one PL2 appearance for City this season but there are high hopes for his future.

Tottenham inflicted further misery on Manchester City with a resounding 4-0 Premier League victory at The Etihad, bringing the reigning champions’ long unbeaten record on home soil crashing down.

Despite coming into the match against their bogey team off the back of four successive defeats in all competitions, City were in a buoyant mood as Rodri paraded the Ballon d’Or ahead of kick-off after the much-welcome news of Pep Guardiola’s contract extension.

The hosts actually started off well, with Erling Haaland missing a couple of presentable chances after they’d put the visitors under a sustained period of pressure.

But James Maddison put Spurs ahead after a well-worked counter-attack in the 14th minute, and seven minutes later the playmaker – on his 28th birthday – doubled the visitors’ lead with a lovely dinked finish over Ederson.

From there, Tottenham frustrated City, keeping them at bay and providing further threat on the counter throughout. Pedro Porro made it three early in the second half before Brennan Johnson added the gloss in injury time.

READ NEXT: The Premier League ‘big six’ head-to-head table of 2024-25 so far: Spurs above Arsenal…

TRY A QUIZ: Can you name every player to play for Man City and Tottenham in the Premier League?

Here are 10 insane stats from Tottenham’s big win at The Etihad:

– Manchester City hadn’t lost a game on home soil in over two years – a 2-1 at home to Brentford in November 2022. They’d gone 35 league matches unbeaten (28 wins, seven draws) since then, and 52 in all competitions.

– This is the first time in Guardiola’s career in football – either as a player or coach – that he’s lost five successive matches in all competitions.

– The last time that City were beaten by four or more goals at home in a Premier League match was a 4-0 defeat to Arsenal all the way back in April 2001. It was their heaviest defeat either home or away since the 4-0 loss away to Everton in January 2017.

– Tottenham notched 2.51xG to Man City’s 2.15xG. Ultimately far more clinical.

– This was the earliest that Manchester City were two goals down on home soil in a Premier League game since December 2010.

– Rodri has now missed 14 Premier League matches since the start of last season. Man City have lost six (42%) of those games.

– This was Tottenham’s ninth victory in 21 meetings with Manchester City since Guardiola took charge. That’s by a considerable distance the best record of any club against City in the Pep era.

– Heading into this trip to The Etihad, Postecoglou’s side had only won two and lost seven of their last 11 Premier League away trips.

-– Tottenham have been 3-0 up in more Premier League games in Manchester this season (two) than Manchester City and Manchester United have between them (one) – via Richard Jolly on Blue Sky

– The last reigning English champions to lose five matches in a row in all competitions were Chelsea all the way back in March 1956.

Tottenham have a litany of former academy players at other clubs and a handful of them are currently living their best lives since leaving the club.

As Ange Postecoglou’s side continue to redefine ‘Spursy’ with their wildly inconsistent results, several of their former academy graduates are enjoying good seasons elsewhere.

We’ve identified seven former Spurs stars who are currently loving life since leaving the club.

Harry Kane

After a drawn-out negotiating process, Kane left Tottenham for Bayern Munich in the summer of 2023 and he’s not looked back since.

Recording an incredible 44 goals and 12 assists last season, the England captain has continued his rich vein of scoring form in 2024-25 and has 17 goals (plus nine assists) in 16 appearances to date.

There might be growing debate over his suitability at international level, but Kane is very clearly still an elite marksman.

Troy Parrott

Despite being highly rated by Spurs fans and coaches, Parrott was never able to break into the first team and his time with the club was spent out on a series of forgettable loans in the EFL.

But his final loan spell, in the Eredivise with Excelsior Rotterdam, was the striker’s lightbulb moment; despite their relegation, Parrott scored 17 goals and earned himself a permanent move to AZ Alkmaar.

The Republic of Ireland international hasn’t looked back since. Parrott scored four times in AZ’s 9-1 rout of Herenveen in September 2024 and currently has eight goals in 16 appearances for his new club.

Marcus Edwards

Another Englishman impressing abroad, Edwards made headlines back in 2022-23 by scoring against boyhood club Tottenham in the Champions League for Sporting Lisbon – and almost nabbed a Puskas-worthy second in the same match.

Away from the spotlight of the English media, the 26-year-old – once compared to Lionel Messi by Mauricio Pochettino – has quietly developed into a very good player out in Portugal.

There have been plenty of Premier League links over the past few years, including a move to Crystal Palace and a romantic return to Spurs, but a player of Edwards’ ability is too good to be sitting on an English bench.

READ NEXT: Where are they now? Jose Mourinho’s Spurs XI which thrashed Man Utd 6-1 at Old Trafford

TRY A QUIZ: Can you name Tottenham’s top 30 goalscorers in the Premier League?

Adam Smith

A stalwart of Bournemouth’s rise from the nether regions of the Football League to part of the Premier League furniture, it sometimes feels like Smith will simply carry on playing forever.

But the defender actually started out at Spurs; his sole Premier League appearance came under Harry Redknapp in 2012 and Smith needed to cut his teeth at perennial second-tier menaces Leeds United and Millwall.

While few have yearned for the 33-year-old to return to Spurs over the previous decade, Smith’s career is testament to the belief that there is the right club for every player.

QUIZ: Can you name every player to make one Premier League appearance for Tottenham?

Kyle Walker-Peters

Walker-Peters was on the fringes of Tottenham’s first team throughout his time in north London, making 24 appearances in all competitions, including the Champions League.

In January 2020, the full-back joined Southampton on loan and made the move permanent that summer.

He has since established himself as a solid Premier League full-back, making over 140 appearances for the club and helping the Saints win promotion in May 2024.

Cameron Carter-Vickers

Formerly a perennial loanee, going out on loan to no fewer than seven clubs while on Tottenham’s books, it never looked as though USMNT international Carter-Vickers was ever going to break through and stake his claim at his parent club.

He never made a Premier League appearance for Spurs and his only opportunities came in the various cup competitions.

However, the defender made a big step up during his final loan away, playing a vital role as Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic took the Scottish title back from Rangers.

Carter-Vickers remains an important player at Parkhead and has helped Celtic cement their status as the dominant force in Scottish football.

Japhet Tanganga

One of the few beneficiaries of Jose Mourinho’s scorched-earth approach to managing Spurs, Tanganga played a series of games in the 2019-20 season before injuries stalled his progress.

In truth, the defender was probably not up to Tottenham’s standards but that didn’t stop the feeling of sadness when he made his loan move to Millwall permanent in the summer of 2024.

Tanganga has found a home from home in south London, regularly starting matches as Millwall push for an improbable promotion to the Premier League.

We’re no voyeurs of violence, but the prospect of The Den hosting top-flight football is simply too delicious to resist. Here’s hoping Tanganga and friends continue their gravity-defying form.

Making a grand total of one Premier League appearance for Tottenham is a rare feat shared by just 14 different players. How many of them can you name?

It’s easy to know about the legendary Spurs players who racked up hundreds of appearances for the club, from Gary Mabbutt to Harry Kane. But only Tottenham diehards will remember all the players who made just one league appearance.

To help you out, we’ve listed their position and the year in which they made their one and only league appearance for the club – not including players who are still currently in the Spurs first team, but including those who are currently out on loan.

If you want another challenge after this, why not try and name every manager to take charge of Tottenham in the Premier League?

If you enjoy our quizzes, head to our new Football Games home where you can search an archive of over 1,000 quizzes and play them all in beautiful full-screen mode.

Good luck, and don’t forget to tweet us your score at @planetfutebol.

Ten years have passed since the release of Football Manager 2015, prompting us to check in on what became of Tottenham’s much-hyped wonderkids from that particular edition of the wildly popular football management simulation game.

Coming right at the start of the Mauricio Pochettino era, Spurs had a couple of gems in their academy system that would soon become integral parts of the first-team.

Having picked them out via the FMScout archives, here are Spurs’ eight wonderkids from Football Manager 2015 – and where they’re at a decade later.

Eric Dier

After almost 10 years of service and well over 300 appearances, Dier departed Tottenham in January 2024 to take on a new challenge at Bayern Munich.

An initial loan spell was enough to convince Bayern to sign the defender permanently and, even though he’s more of a bit-part player under Vincent Kompany, Dier is now playing Champions League football while Spurs kick their heels in the Europa League.

Cameron Carter-Vickers

Formerly a perennial loanee, going out on loan to no fewer than seven clubs while on Tottenham’s books, it never looked as though US international Carter-Vickers was ever going to break through and stake his claim at his parent club.

He never made a Premier League appearance for Spurs and his only opportunities came in the cup competitions.

However, the defender made a big step up during his final loan away, playing a vital role as Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic took the Scottish title back from Rangers.

Carter-Vickers remains an important player at Parkhead and has helped Celtic cement their status as the dominant force in Scottish football.

Kyle Walker-Peters

Walker-Peters was on the fringes of Tottenham’s first team throughout his time in north London, making 24 appearances in all competitions, including the Champions League.

In January 2020, the full-back joined Southampton on loan and made the move permanent that summer.

He has since established himself as a solid Premier League full-back, making over 140 appearances for the club and helping the Saints win promotion in May 2024.

Nabil Bentaleb

“I would be a hypocrite to say that I would not like to be there, and I am not a hypocrite,” Bentaleb told The Independent in February 2019, reflecting on his time at Tottenham. “But this is football.”

The Algeria international looked set to become an important squad member at Spurs, starting the 2015 League Cup final, but fell out with Mauricio Pochettino before being sold to Schalke in 2017.

Now 29, Bentlaeb is playing in Ligue 1 with Lille which sounds about right.

READ NEXT: Where are they now? Jose Mourinho’s Spurs XI which thrashed Man Utd 6-1 at Old Trafford

TRY A QUIZ: Can you name Tottenham’s top 30 goalscorers in the Premier League?

Dele Alli

Once one of the brightest prospects in English football, Alli’s stock waned so much at Tottenham that they were happy to let him go for free.

He joined Everton midway through the 2021-22 season but failed to make much of an impact in their battle against the drop and has since been loaned out to Turkish Super Lig giants Besiktas – but he couldn’t reignite his career away from the spotlight out in Istanbul.

Dele has since returned to his parent club and spoke refreshingly candidly about the impact of his tough upbringing and mental health battles.

Despite technically being a free agent, Everton are giving him all the time he needs to get himself right to play again. We’re all rooting for him.

Joshua Onomah

Highly rated during his time at Tottenham, Onomah never quite realised that early potential and was sold to Fulham in 2019.

He twice helped the Cottagers get promoted as they yo-yoed between the Premier League and Championship, but barely featured under Marco Silva in 2022-23 and was released at the end of his contract.

Onomah spent a brief stint alongside Woodman and Ledson at Preston but never extended his contract beyond an initial six months.

He spent last season out of the game entirely, beyond a trial at Stoke City that never went anywhere, but has now signed a short-term deal with League One side Blackpool.

Harry Kane

Ten years ago, Kane was just about to break into the Tottenham first team. He is now England and Tottenham’s record goalscorer and continues to score freely at Bayern Munich.

QUIZ: Can you name every country Harry Kane has scored against for England?

Ismael Azzaoui

Definitely the most obscure player in this list, Azzaoui lasted a single, appearance-free season at Spurs before being offloaded to Wolfsburg in 2015.

The most prolific spell of the striker’s nomadic career came in the form of seven goals in 50 games for Dutch side Heracles. He now plays in Azerbaijan for Araz-Naxcivan.

Tottenham have gone through something of a rebuild in the recent era, with a fair amount of squad churn since Mauricio Pochettino departed the club five years ago.

While Harry Kane is off scoring goals for fun in the Bundesliga, a number of their other high-profile ex-players are currently struggling to find a club.

We’ve picked out four former Spurs players that are currently free agents.

Dele Alli

Starting with the big one. Obviously it’s well documented how Dele’s career has gone in recent years.

We’d never have believed you back in 2016, when he was one of the most exciting young talents in all of Europe, if you’d told us this is how things would go. Bit like predicting Cole Palmer will end up without a club in eight years time.

Dele has spoken refreshingly candidly about his difficult upbringing and struggles off the pitch and we can’t help but root for him. Unfortunately he hasn’t kicked a ball professionally for over a year now and we’re approaching half a decade since he last enjoyed a regular run of starts.

Before his quiet exit from Everton in the summer, Dele made an appearance on Monday Night Football and spoke about his ambitions of making England’s World Cup squad for 2026. We’d love to see it – but first he needs a club.

He’s been training with Everton since his contract expired with the Toffees, but it remains to be seen if he’ll sign a new deal with the club.

Serge Aurier

Since leaving Spurs three years ago, the notoriously hot-headed right-back has had stints with Villarreal, Nottingham Forest and Galatasaray but struggled to nail down a settled home.

The 31-year-old only made four appearances in Galatasaray’s Turkish Super Lig title triumph last season, and unlike his former team-mate Davinson Sanchez found himself unable to earn a long-term contract after initially joining on a short-term deal.

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Etienne Capoue

Of “sold Elvis and bought The Beatles” fame alongside Erik Lamela, Roberto Soldado, Paulinho, Christian Eriksen, Vlad Chiriches and Nacer Chadli (who is also a free agent in his twilight years).

While Capoue never quite cut it at Tottenham, the French midfielder has enjoyed a respectable career with over a hundred appearances for both Watford and Villarreal. Must like the colour yellow.

He was named Watford’s Player Of The Season back in 2018-19 and went on to win the Europa League under Unai Emery in 2020-21. Now he’s 36 and winding down his career – this might be the end of the road?

Ryan Fredericks

Fredericks only made a handful of cup cameo appearances for his boyhood Spurs before going on to establish a career elsewhere, with most of his appearances for Fulham and West Ham.

He’s been something of a forgotten man since joining newly-promoted Bournemouth in 2022. The right-back never made it beyond the periphery for the Cherries as they established themselves back in the top flight and didn’t get a look in at all under Andoni Iraola last term due to “recurring injuries”.

You imagine that the 32-year-old will likely have to move back down to the Championship at this point if he’s to extend his career.