The Spurs Web

Ange Postecoglou reveals what he hated most about Spurs vs Galatasaray

Submitted by daniel on
Picture
Remote Image
Description

Ange Postecoglou has been speaking to the press after this evening’s Europa League defeat to Galatasaray, and had plenty to say about Spurs and their poor composure.

Spurs were all over the place against Galatasaray

Tottenham Hotspur entered RAMS Park tonight knowing they would be in for a rough ride against a Galatasaray side who have not lost a game all season.

However, Ange Postecoglou very likely expected much, much better from his team, as he witnessed a makeshift back four give the ball away time and time again.

Ultimately, Spurs were punished by their failure to mark Victor Osimhen effectively, with the Nigerian striker bagging two goals on the night.

While Tottenham did claw their way back and come away on the wrong end of a fairly respectable 3-2 scoreline despite being down to ten men after Will Lankshear‘s red card, the number of mistakes made by the Lilywhites is real cause for concern.

Ange Postecoglou not happy with carelessness in possession

Speaking after the game (via Football.London), Ange Postecoglou discussed his Spurs vs Galatasaray and their shortcomings on the night. He insisted that the first-half performance in particular is what really cost them the game.

He said: “In the first half we gave the ball away too much. We lacked composure and we allowed Galatasaray to get a foothold in the game and we paid the price for that.

MORE SPURS STORIES

“It just felt it was self-inflicted. We had really simple solutions out there to keep the ball. It wasn’t that hard. We showed it with 10 men. We just needed to be stronger on the ball and play the kind of football we play every week.

“Maybe it was a little bit the changes I made and the environment and atmosphere, but the moments that stick out to me was giving the ball away. We were playing through them quite easily with 10 men but with 11 men we had nowhere near that conviction and that was disappointing.”

Too little too late for Spurs

It is pretty frustrating that, by the end of the game, we should really have gotten at least a point from that game, and if it wasn’t for really disappointing mistakes in the first half, we would have pulled off a brilliant result in an incredibly difficult game.

Source

Five things we learned from Tottenham 3

Submitted by daniel on
Picture
Remote Image
Description

Tottenham Hotspur fell to their first Europa League defeat of the season on Thursday evening away to Galatasaray. Let’s take a look at the five things we learned from the game.

A comical performance

I had hoped the comical performances of Tottenham‘s changed XI were a thing of the past after three decent Europa League showings so far this season. However, the old Spurs clown show was back in full force this evening, with the Lilywhites struggling to remember what sport they play professionally for the first 70 minutes.

The likes of Radu Dragusin, Pedro Porro and Archie Gray gave the ball away for fun at the back and struggled to contend with the world-class ability of Osimhen. Meanwhile, Lucas Bergvall looked lost at sea at RAMS Park, while the experienced Maddison and Bissouma did little to steer him. Hopefully, this was a simple case of a much-changed team struggling in a very unique atmosphere, and not a sign of things to come for Tottenham and Ange Postecoglou.

Should have earned a point

It feels crazy to type this but somehow Spurs should have escaped with a point this evening. After surviving a tirade of second-half attacks but somehow keeping the score at 3-1, Dominic Solanke pulled one back for the Lilywhites with 25 minutes on the clock. As Galatasaray tired, the ten men of Tottenham started to find some gaps and carved out two glorious opportunities for a winner.

The first one came when Pape Sarr had a simple through ball to set Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke through on goal. Had he played it well, it surely would have been a simple square ball and tap-in to equalise for Spurs, but the pass ended up sending Deki wide. The second fell to the Swede himself when Galatasaray’s keeper went walkabout and left him with an empty net to aim for from 45 yards. Unfortunately, Kulusevski rushed his effort and swept it wide.

A great night ruined for Will Lankshear

We should have been talking about how the silver lining this evening was Will Lankshear‘s first senior European goal but the red card somewhat overshadows that. Don’t get me wrong, the goal will do him the world of good either way, but the red definitely tarnishes the memory for him. I’m sure he will learn a thing or two about diving in on a yellow card from that experience though, and he should be pleased with his overall performance. Onward and upward, Will!

Still looking good in the table

There are still games to play at the time of writing, but Spurs look like they will remain in the top eight heading into gameweek five. All things considered, Tottenham probably have their hardest away match out of the way now and can look forward with confidence.

If you had offered Spurs fans three wins from four at the start of the season, they undoubtedly would have taken it. I’m sure some important lessons were learned by Postecoglou and his players this evening too – number one being that it is probably a decent idea to mark Victor Osimhen from time to time.

Djed Spence must start vs Ipswich

Postecoglou is clearly trying to manage minutes in the legs of some of his players. I think Pedro Porro looks in desperate need of a good rest on that right side. Udogie will undoubtedly return at left-back this weekend, but Ipswich Town at home feels like a good chance to hand Spence a start at right-back too.

Source

Tottenham player ratings from Europa League defeat vs Galatasaray

Submitted by daniel on
Picture
Remote Image
Description

Tottenham Hotspur made the daunting trip to Turkey to take on Galatasaray in the Europa League, and came away empty-handed as they suffered their first defeat in the competition. Let’s take a look at our player ratings.

Galatasaray 3-2 Tottenham

In a hostile environment at RAMS Park, Tottenham looked nervous and were second best for much of the game.

Ange Postecoglou‘s men went in 3-1 down at half-time, and started the second half by gifting the home side countless chances, but none of them were taken.

Despite being down to ten men after Will Lankshear‘s foolish red card, Spurs got a goal back thanks to Dominic Solanke and the game was well and truly on for the final 20 minutes.

Unfortunately, our player ratings may not be happy reading for some Tottenham players after that 3-2 defeat to Galatasaray.

Tottenham player ratings at full-time vs Galatasaray

Fraser Forster: Made a number of mistakes throughout the game, including an absolute howler when gathering a ball from a set-piece, but he also made a handful of top-quality saves to limit the damage, too. 5.

Pedro Porro: No player in the Spurs backline can hold their head high tonight, but Porro at least registered an assist to make his outing somewhat productive. 5.

MORE SPURS STORIES

Radu Dragusin: An absolute horror show from the Romanian defender, who gave away possession all night through sloppy passes and miskicks. Dragusin could not deal with the Galatasaray attacks and looked like an amateur impersonating a professional footballer at times. 2.

Ben Davies: A fairly steady display from the calm and experienced head of Ben Davies, with some well-timed tackles and composed ball-carrying. 6.

Archie Gray: Another night where the youngster has played out of position and looked completely overawed. Gray looked shaky on the ball, took too long to release the ball in dangerous areas, and was outmuscled numerous times. He did play a big part in the opening goal, though. 5.

Yves Bissouma: Failed to control the midfield areas in the first-half, but did grow into the game and started to show some composure to help Spurs get a handle on things with progressive carries and neat passing through the lines. 6.

James Maddison: Went missing for large portions of the game and never looked like making an impact on the night. 3.

Lucas Bergvall: Looked totally out of his depth in a feisty game. Found himself with the ball in dangerous areas a couple of times, but his reluctance to use his left foot saw those opportunities squandered. 3.

Brennan Johnson: Picked up a nice assist with his cross for Lankshear’s goal. Did very little other than that and was hooked off at half-time. 5.

Heung-min Son: Did not look himself at all, perhaps due to his fitness levels. Was unable to carry the ball with pace and flair like we are used to seeing him do, and was taken off at half-time, most likely to preserve him for the weekend. 5.

Will Lankshear: What could have been a special night for Lankshear, who scored his first senior goal for the club to bring the scores level in the first half, was ruined when the youngster picked up two yellow cards in the second half. 6.

Substitutes

Rodrigo Bentancur: On at half-time for Heung-min Son. Really helped Spurs win the midfield battle and turned the tide in their favour with some neat footwork, but more than anything, Bentancur did the simple things really well. 7.

Dejan Kulusevski: On at half-time for Brennan Johnson. Another player who changed the rhythm of the game, offering his usual intense pressing and clever movement to find pockets of space and cause Galatasaray’s defenders problems. Had a golden opportunity to level the scores in injury time but fluffed it. 7.

Dominic Solanke: Replaced Lucas Bergvall with 25 minutes of normal time to go. Scored almost immediately, with a neat finish to continue his goalscoring form. Changed the game for Tottenham with his hold-up play. 8.

Source

half player ratings vs Galatasaray

Submitted by daniel on
Picture
Remote Image
Description

The curtains have been drawn over the first half of Europa League action in Istanbul, and it’s time for player ratings, with Spurs trailing to Galatasaray 3-1 subject to goals from Yunus Akgun, Will Lankshear, and Osimhen.

Galatasaray vs Tottenham in Europa League

Tottenham travel to Turkey looking to make it three wins in three, although victory away at Galatasaray is no easy feat. With starting centre-backs Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven ruled out due to injury, Ange Postecoglou‘s men will have a tough task keeping the Turkish champions quiet.

Spurs’ opponents currently sit top of the Turkish top flight, as well as also having an unbeaten start in their continental campaign. Undoubtedly, they will be desperate to continue that streak with what would be a famous win over Spurs, having never beaten the English side before.

Over the duration of the first half, we analysed each player’s individual performance, rating them on a scale of 1-10. Let’s see how Spurs fared in the opening forty-five of the Europa League match.

Spurs first-half player ratings vs Galatasaray

Fraser Forster: The veteran goalkeeper was just beaten by an unstoppable strike after five minutes, getting fingertips to it. He was incredibly shaky on the ball throughout the half, gifting the hosts an abundance of opportunities to score. However, he made a few decent saves that kept the scoreline from being a cricket score. 4.

Pedro Porro: The Spaniard was really poor in the opening forty-five, losing possession cheaply on a number of occasions, and he was bypassed too often by Galatasaray’s left side. 3.

Radu Dragusin: The Romanian had a half to forget as his heavy touch led to Osimhen’s first goal and it was a certainly poor lapse in judgement from the centre-half. Not only that, he lost possession so many times. An awful, awful performance so far, on and off the ball. 2.

MORE SPURS STORIES

Ben Davies: Davies’ first-half display on the ball wasn’t particularly assuring, as he felt the full effects of the host’s press. He didn’t make any real mistakes though. 5.

Archie Gray: Another start for Gray at left-back tonight, and his versatility is proving important to Postecoglou’s rotation. He played a huge part in Spurs’ opening goal, delivering a beautifully lofted ball through to Johnson. He was one of Spurs’ brightest players in what was a gloomy first-half display. 7.

Yves Bissouma: Easily Spurs’ best midfielder, which just shows the standard of Spurs’ midfield so far today. 5.

Lucas Bergvall: Filling in for fellow Swede Kulusevski, arguably Spurs’ most influential player this season, Bergvall will be keen to impress tonight. He didn’t start too well, as he gave up possession on multiple occasions and honestly, it was quite clear that the 18-year-old is still very raw. He looked very out of his depth, unfortunately. 3.

James Maddison: Struggled to keep possession as he was targeted by Galatasaray’s midfield, who didn’t allow him time to play his usual way. It’s been a below-par performance, to say the least from him. 3.

Brennan Johnson: Brennan has undoubtedly made that right-wing position his as he starts yet another game. He unselfishly assisted Lankshear with a deft touch, however he wasn’t too heavily involved after that. 5.

Will Lankshear: It’s a second senior start for the 19-year-old, and it was certainly one to remember as the youngster scored Spurs’ equaliser! What a moment for him. Outside that, the striker received very little service. 7.

Source

The Tottenham games Richarlison will miss due to his latest injury

Submitted by daniel on
Picture
Remote Image
Description

Richarlison has picked up an injury again, which is a major blow for Ange Postecoglou – here are all the Tottenham games the striker is likely to miss.

What happened to Richarlison?

After entering the field at the 56-minute mark against Aston Villa on Sunday, Richarlison managed to bag himself an assist, squaring the ball perfectly for Dominic Solanke to take the scoreline to 3-1 and kill the game.

However, in doing so, the Brazilian pulled his hamstring, and had to leave the field, bringing his 27-minute cameo to a close.

Social media account, Physio Scout, suggested Richarlison had suffered a full hamstring strain, which could keep him out of action for two to four weeks (if grade one), or four to six weeks (if grade two).

Spurs insider, Paul O’Keefe, confirmed on Wednesday that Richarlison would “miss a minimum of four weeks” with his hamstring injury. So, let’s see what matches he will miss.

What games will Richarlison miss?

The good news is that a substantial chunk of that four-week absence will be eaten up by the international break. But, we estimate the best-case scenario for Richarlison is that he will be out of action until December 1, meaning he will miss five matches in total.

The games Richarlison will miss:

If Richarlison’s injury keeps him out for the upper end of six weeks, Richarlison would be out until around December 15, meaning he could miss another four matches.

The games Richarlison could miss:

Source

Stat shows Brennan Johnson is the most threatening winger in Europe

Submitted by daniel on
Picture
Remote Image
Description

One Brennan Johnson stat has come to light, which shows just how big a threat the Tottenham man is posing in the opposition box consistently.

Brennan Johnson is unspectacularly effective

Johnson is not the sort of winger who gets fans off their seat with his dribbling or step-overs, but he has been ruthlessly effective both in and out of possessions this season.

The wide-man has mastered the art of arriving at the back post to meet crosses, having found the back of the net seven times across all competitions so far this season.

The 23-year-old is also a nightmare to play against, constantly pressing his full-back and giving them no breathing space at all.

Stat that shows Johnson’s threat

DataMB have now revealed that no winger in Europe’s top five leagues has a higher xG this season than Johnson. Not to mention the fact that Johnson already has seven goals in all competitions this year.

The Tottenham man has 60 touches in the opposition box, which is more than any other wide player in those divisions. He also ranks highly when it comes to defensive actions, crosses and key passes.

MORE SPURS STORIES

Credit has to go to Ange Postecoglou’s system

While there is no doubt that Johnson deserves a lot of credit for his performances this season, praise also has to go to Postecoglou for some of these metrics.

Low crosses to the far post are one of the key features of the Australian’s system in the final third, which is the reason why Tottenham‘s wingers have such a high xG this season.

The number of touches in the opposition box is also a testament to just how high Spurs press the opposition and the number of times they win the ball back in the final third.

Source

Who is Daniel Levy? Meet Tottenham Hotspur's Chairman

Submitted by daniel on
Picture
Remote Image
Description

Ask any Tottenham Hotspur fan about Daniel Levy and they’ll probably have a pretty strong opinion about the club chairman. But, who is Daniel Levy, how much is he worth, and is he ready to leave Spurs?

You can’t have a football club without the owners, and Tottenham‘s owners are pretty high profile. Levy and the Spurs board have been involved for quite some time now, but it hasn’t always been happy days.

From fan protests, to trophy droughts, and lots of commercial success in between, here’s a look at Daniel Levy‘s relationship with Tottenham.

Daniel Levy’s net worth explained

As of May 2024, Daniel Levy was reportedly worth around £450m, and he is the highest-paid chairman in the Premier League.

That’s per the Sunday Times rich list published earlier this year, which had Levy coming in at 303 on the ladder of the wealthiest folk in the world. However, he did drop from the previous year, with a reported £50m loss due to Tottenham’s failure to qualify for the Champions League.

Apparently, throughout the 2023/24 season, Levy was paid a massive £3.58m as a basic salary, and also received another £3m in bonuses, to put him top of the pile when it comes to Premier League chairmen.

Levy initially made his money through investment banking, private equity, and business partnerships. Put simply, he has forged a career by buying businesses, making them successful, and then selling them on.

MORE SPURS STORIES

A lot of Levy’s current wealth obviously comes from his association with Spurs, and his successful partnership with Joe Lewis and the ENIC group they formed together.

When did Daniel Levy join Tottenham and ENIC?

Levy actually partnered up with Joe Lewis and the ENIC group way back in 1995, but his association with Tottenham didn’t begin until the year 2000.

He became Managing Director of ENIC in 1995. When the group bought Tottenham Hotspur from Sir Alan Sugar in December 2000, Levy was named on the board of directors.

Levy later became chairman of the club in February 2001 and has remained in the position ever since.

How much of Tottenham does Daniel Levy own?

The structure of ownership at Spurs is quite complex, but the simplest way to figure it out is to know that the ENIC Group owns 86.58% of the club, and that Levy owns 29.88% of the ENIC Group.

Essentially, Levy owns around 25.8% of the club as things stand, whille the Lewis Family Trust owns around 60% of the shares in the club.

Joe Lewis recently relinquished control of the ENIC Group, putting his family trust in charge, meaning Levy is now the most active owner/director involved in the club.

How many trophies have Tottenham won under Daniel Levy

Tottenham Hotspur have won just one trophy under Levy’s stewardship: The League Cup in 2008.

Much has been said of Tottenham’s trophy drought. They are the only club in the so-called Big Six not to have won a trophy in the 2010s and beyond, but they have come close on two occasions.

Spurs made it to the Champions League final in 2019 under Mauricio Pochettino, but lost to Liverpool. They also made it to the Carabao Cup final in 2021, but lost to Manchester City, with Ryan Mason in temporary charge for that game.

Levy himself has been criticised for the perceived lack of backing he has offered managers over the years and for failing to strike when the proverbial iron was hot, particularly during the Pochettino era when the squad was strong and perhaps just needed a couple of top players adding to it to get to the next level.

How many managers have Spurs had during Levy’s tenure?

Tottenham Hotspur have had 12 permanent managers during Levy’s time at the club, plus a further six caretaker managers temporarily in charge.

The Levy era began with Glenn Hoddle at the helm, but the Spurs legend left the role in 2003, with David Pleat taking over as caretaker, before Frenchman Jacques Santini took charge in 2004.

Santini did not last long, with Martin Jol being hired in the same year. The Dutchman lasted three years, give or take, before Clive Allen and Alex Inglethorpe become co-caretaker managers in 2007 (they would later take on the role again in 2008, briefly).

This is where things started to look up for Spurs, though. Juande Ramos came in and won the League Cup for the club, before Harry Redknapp took over in 2008 and really ushered in a new era of success for the Lilywhites.

Redknapp led Spurs to the Champions League for the first time and spent four years at the club. He was replaced by Andre Villas-Boas in 2012, who was in turn replaced by Tim Sherwood in 2013, and a year later, Mauricio Pochettino arrived at White Hart Lane.

The Argentine was hugely popular and relatively successful, too, leading the club to second-placed finishes in the Premier League and that Champions League final.

Since then, we’ve had Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo, Antonio Conte, and caretaker spells for Ryan Mason and Cristian Stellini. Now, of course, we are in the Ange Postecoglou era, and things are looking pretty positive.

Is Daniel Levy selling Tottenham Hotspur?

Daniel Levy has not expressed a desire to sell Tottenham entirely, and would be eager to stay at the club even if some of his shares were bought out. But, he has made it clear the club is looking for investors.

The chairman has previously, very publicly, announced that he is open to a minority share buyout, in order to help the club expand and evolve both on and off the pitch.

The prevailing rumour at the moment is that Amanda Staveley — the businesswoman who spearheaded the Saudi Public Investment Fund’s takeover at Newcastle United — has set her sights on Spurs as her next investment project.

Daniel Levy’s Personal information

Daniel Levy was born in Essex on February 8, 1962, making him 62-years-old at the time of writing.

His father, Barry Levy, was fairly wealthy, too, having owned the clothing company Mr Byrite (which later rebranded as Blue Inc). Daniel Levy would become involved in the family business after graduating from Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge.

Levy is a lifelong Tottenham supporter, and has been attending matches since childhood.

He is married to Tracy Dixon, his former PA, and they have four children together.

Source

David Pleat explains interesting details behind Dele Alli signing for Spurs

Submitted by daniel on
Picture
Remote Image
Description

The signing of Dele Alli for Spurs back in 2015 was a big deal for a number of reasons, and David Pleat has now revealed how influential he was in getting that transfer over the line.

Dele was a bargain for Tottenham

An 18-year-old Dele joined Tottenham for a fee in the region of £5m in 2015. That fee was huge at the time, given the player’s age and the fact he was playing at League One level, but it proved to be a great deal in the end.

Dele made 269 appearances for Tottenham in total, scoring 67 goals and registering 58 assists for the Lilywhites (Transfermarkt) on his way to becoming one of the most exciting and productive young playmakers the Premier League has ever seen.

Speaking to Sky Sports about the role he played in ensuring Tottenham signed Dele, former scouting chief David Pleat said: “When I first saw him play at 16-years-old in the midfield, he was athletic, he was a box-to-box midfielder, with physicality, running power, and talent on the ball.

“To me, it was a no-brainer. On a couple of occasions, I really tried hard with the chairman to get the deal done, but it didn’t move too quick. Eventually, Daniel Levy rang me up and said, ‘MK Dons are going to sell the player, would £5m be too much?’ He thought it might be, for a player at that level. I said, ‘Take it, all day long.'”

Transfers aren’t decided by the chairman

Continuing his discussion about Dele’s move, Pleat also revealed that transfer deals don’t actually go down the way many think.

Apparently, while a chairman will sign off on the players the club signs, it is actually the bank managers who dictate how a deal is structured.

MORE SPURS STORIES

He added: “No scout has the final decision. In the end, it’s not even the chairman, it’s the bank manager. You might go through several channels before the club decides and it’s recommended to the chairman. They will hopefully support the manager, if they have the funds to do so.

“But, in the end, their bank manager decides whether the payment is paid in one go, or over instalments. The whole game is incredibly fascinating.”

David Pleat was right

While Spurs may have never made a profit on their signing of Dele for £5m, he was without a doubt worth every penny the club spent on him. It’s a shame the way his time at Tottenham ended, but we hold out hope that he can find his way back to the top once more.

Source

Tottenham star reveals his parents often watch games in local N17 pubs

Submitted by daniel on
Picture
Remote Image
Description

Guglielmo Vicario’s passion for Tottenham Hotspur isn’t just his own – his parents have fully embraced the club and the North London matchday atmosphere, making them part of the Spurs family in more ways than one.

From Empoli to the Premier League

Joining Spurs in the summer of 2023, Vicario stepped into the shoes of long-serving captain Hugo Lloris, and his impact was immediate; the Italian goalkeeper’s distribution abilities, along with his reflexes and presence, have made him a crucial player in Postecoglou’s fluid, attacking style of football.

In addition to his technical prowess, Vicario’s presence on the pitch has become one of controlled intensity, which is evident in his vocal leadership when the team faces challenging moments.

However, Vicario’s adjustment hasn’t come without its difficulties, especially when dealing with set pieces against physically dominant sides; yet his passion and resilience are attributes that have earned him respect from fans and teammates alike.

Behind this passion lies a source of inspiration and support that is close to home – his parents, who, much like their son, have fully embraced the club’s culture and atmosphere. The Vicario family’s shared love for football, and Tottenham specifically, has added an intriguing layer to his story as he settles into the North London scene.

For a goalkeeper who prides himself on contributing to the team’s build-up play and mastering the art of distribution under pressure, Vicario’s commitment is more than evident in every match. His save percentage of 67.6% and two clean sheets in the league so far underline his reliability, but it is his mindset and infectious passion, traits he appears to have inherited, that make his journey one to follow closely as Spurs push forward under new leadership.

Passion runs in the family

In a recent interview, Vicario opened up about his family’s commitment to Spurs, revealing that his parents have embraced Tottenham life as fervently as he has, often travelling to London and even making appearances at away games when possible. In a tweet by Ben Haines on X, Vicario explained:

MORE SPURS STORIES

“My parents are very passionate; they are in every aspect here in London in terms of football. They love the atmosphere at home games, and sometimes they try to come to watch away games as well. They love football; they are crazy about it. I am very proud of them, and they are enjoying it – big credit to them. I know they are big customers of the pubs around the stadium. They told me they love to enjoy the atmosphere before the game starts, so yeah, very happy for them.”

Vicario’s family spirit

Source

Spurs cult hero copied Gareth Bale's strange pre

Submitted by daniel on
Picture
Remote Image
Description

One ex-Spurs player has revealed that he used to follow Gareth Bale’s odd diet before matches, in order to try and match his energy levels.

Gareth Bale: Tottenham’s rapid winger

Gareth Bale has been branded by some as the greatest British player of all time, and there is a reason for this.

Although many of today’s youngsters will know Bale as the footballer who wanted to be a golfer, Tottenham supporters will remember the star’s rapid pace and wand of a left foot, while he was in his prime, showcased in performances such as those unforgettable Champions League matches against Inter.

Bale registered 71 goals and 53 assists in 237 appearances during his two spells at Spurs, but the former Wales captain started many of these matches in the left-back role, with most of his goal contributions coming in his last few seasons at the club (Transfer Markt).

But Bale was far more than just a goal scorer and one former Spurs forward has revealed that he used to copy Bale’s pre-match meal, after he was baffled by how the talented young winger managed to boost his energy levels.

Peter Crouch adopted Bale’s diet

Peter Crouch played in Tottenham’s youth academy, but did not make a senior appearance until returning to the North Londoners in 2009, where he played alongside Bale for two seasons.

It was during these seasons that Crouch became influenced by his much younger teammate, as he attempted to match his level of performance by following the Welshman’s basic diet.

MORE SPURS STORIES

Speaking to Steve Sidwell on That Peter Crouch Podcast, he said: “You know, what changed for me was watching Gareth Bale.

“I’ve talked about this before, watching Gareth be the most intense runs, the most distance covered, it was ridiculous. He was one of the fittest players I’ve ever seen.

“He’d just literally have baked beans on toast every time. And I thought, ‘what is in those beans’? So I started doing it. I started doing baked beans on toast. I thought it must be the difference. It didn’t quite work for me!

“But you know when you see other people doing different things and, certainly later on in your career, you see, definitely, the chefs and stuff at the training ground have changed.”

Crouch’s obsession with discussing diets

Crouch is no stranger to bringing up the peculiar diets of his former Tottenham teammates. Last year he revealed to The Mail that Benoit Assou-Ekotto’s pre-match meal consisted of a croissant, a hot chocolate, a full-fat Coke and a packet of crisps.

Although diets in professional football have become stricter in recent years, as the need for fitness grows in importance with congested fixture schedules, there have been enough quality players who eat unconventionally, to show that there is no one diet that is right for every player.

Source