Ranking the best Spurs players of all time and more fun facts

Ranking the best Spurs players of all time and more fun facts

Kevin Omuya
updated at April 22, 2024 at 8:38 AM

Tottenham Hotspur is a thriving club that has spent the bulk of its 128-year history competing in the top tier of English football. It has won various significant accolades along the way, including the European Cup, the FA Cup, and the Division One crown. Find out some of the best Spurs players of all time in this article.

The best Spurs players
Photo: canva.com (modified by author)
Source: UGC

In this article, we strive to select the ten best spurs players of all-time soccer, who, more than any others, stand out for their dedication to the club, individual talent, and accomplishment as part of a winning squad. These accomplishments have been pushed off the field by the passion of thousands of supporters and the intellect of management scores. This article provides the top spurs players of all time.

The top 10 best spurs players of all time

Using the most recent statistics, we have compiled a list of the top 10 spurs players of all time from the long list of famous old spurs players.

10. Paul Gascoigne 1988 to 1991

Ranking the best tottenham hotspurs players of all time
Paul Gascoigne during the match between Spurs Legends and Inter Forever Legends at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on March 30, 2019, in London, England. Photo: Tottenham Hotspur FC
Source: Getty Images

'Gazza' was perhaps at his most dazzling during his three-year stint at the club. He was in sensational form after the 1990 World Cup. He ran the opposition ragged in every round of the FA Cup the following season, but a knee ligament injury early in the final against Nottingham Forest would deny him the chance to walk up the Wembley steps with his teammates. At his best, Gascoigne was simply unstoppable.

9. Pat Jennings 1964 to 1977 & 1985 to 1986

Ranking the best tottenham hotspurs players of all time
St Patrick's Athletic goalkeeping coach Pat Jennings during the warm-up before the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division match against Finn Harps in Ballybofey, Donegal. Photo: Piaras Ó Mídheach
Source: Getty Images

One of the Tottenham legends, Patrick Anthony Jennings is an exceptionally agile goalkeeper. His outstanding all-around ability as a goalkeeper made him a hero to many football fans, and he continues to be a hero to many, regardless of the team they support.

Jennings was regarded as the best goalkeeper in the world during his time at Spurs. The Northern Ireland international was named PFA Player of the Year in 1976, after winning an FA Cup, two League Cups, and a Uefa Cup during his 12 years with the club.

8. Martin Chivers 1968 to 1976

Ranking the best tottenham hotspurs players of all time
Martin Chivers of Tottenham Hotspur heads towards goal during the Football League Cup Final against Aston Villa at Wembley Stadium on February 27, 1971, in London, England. Photo: Paul Popper
Source: Getty Images

'Big Chiv' was a large striker who enjoyed scoring goals for Tottenham Hotspur. He has been dubbed a "defining player of his generation," "looking like a target man but playing like an angel." Chivers was a star striker for Spurs during a prosperous period, scoring 174 goals in 367 games for the club, including goals in the 1971 and 1973 League Cup triumphs and the 1972 Uefa Cup triumph.

7. Alan Gilzean 1964 to 1974

Ranking the best tottenham hotspurs players of all time
Alan Gilzean of Tottenham Hotspur FC poses for a portrait on 1st June 1967 in Tottenham, London, Great Britain. Photo: by Don Morley
Source: Getty Images

Gilzean, ranked eighth in the club's all-time goal-scoring charts, scored 133 goals in 429 games for Tottenham, first with Jimmy Greaves and later with Martin Chivers. During his ten years at the club, he won the FA Cup, two League Cups, and a Uefa Cup.

6. Cliff Jones 1958 to 1968

Ranking the best tottenham hotspurs players of all time
Cliff Jones of Tottenham Hotspur poses at a pre-season photocall. August 1964. Photo: Monte Fresco
Source: Getty Images

Cliff Jones, a dangerous player on either flank, entertained and delighted fans at Swansea Town and Tottenham Hotspur, becoming one of the best soccer specialists of his generation. Jones was a key member of Tottenham's 1961 double-winning squad. Won the FA Cup three times, the Division One title once, and the Cup Winners' Cup once, scoring 159 goals in 378 games.

Jones's majestic talent had the Spurs faithful on their feet in awe and appreciation during his prime. Cliff Jones was the Welsh wing wizard of the 1960s, before Ryan Giggs and Gareth Bale.

Top 5 spurs players of all time

But who are the greatest Tottenham Hotspur players of all time? Here are our best names for the top five.

5. Glenn Hoddle 1975 to 1987

Ranking the best tottenham hotspurs players of all time
Spurs player Glenn Hoddle (I) challenges Nigel Spackman of Liverpool during a First Division match against Liverpool at White Hart Lane on March 22, 1987, in London, England. Photo: David Cannon
Source: Getty Images

Hoddle, a midfielder with exceptional technique and all-around ability, is one of the best players ever played for Spurs. Won the FA Cup twice and the Uefa Cup, but, like Ray Clemence, missed the match against Anderlecht due to injury. He managed the club but could not replicate his playing success in the dugout.

4. Bill Nicholson 1938 to 1954

Ranking the best tottenham hotspurs players of all time
1965: Tottenham Hotspur manager Bill Nicholson. Photo: Don Morley
Source: Getty Images

Tottenham earned a promotion to the First Division in 1950 and won the title the following year, with over 300 appearances. However, as a manager, Nicholson would write an incredible chapter in the club's history, guiding Spurs to another league championship in 1961 and winning silverware eight times in total, leaving a lasting legacy.

3. Jimmy Greaves 1961 to 1970

Ranking the best tottenham hotspurs players of all time
Sport, Football, London, England, 1967, A portrait of Tottenham Hotspur striker Jimmy Greaves. Photo: Popperfoto.
Source: Getty Images

'Greavsie,' arguably the most fantastic striker to ever grace the game, set countless records during an incredible playing career, many of which still stand today. Tottenham's all-time leading scorer. Greaves scored 266 goals in 380 games for Spurs, winning two FA Cups and the Cup Winners' Cup after joining AC Milan in 1961.

2. Dave Mackay 1959 to 1968

Ranking the best tottenham hotspurs players of all time
Scottish professional footballer and player with Tottenham Hotspur FC, Dave Mackay, pictured at the team's White Hart Lane ground circa 1960. Photo: Rolls Press
Source: Getty Images

Dave Mackay was the invincible powerhouse at the heart of the Tottenham Hotspur football team, which became the first team in the 20th century to win the League and FA Cup double in 1961. The foundation of the most successful Tottenham team in history. He dominated the defence for Spurs as they won the double in 1961, kicking off a run that would see the club win two more FA Cups and the Cup Winners' Cup.

The best Tottenham defender of all time was the fighting heart of that remarkable side, just as his fellow wing-half, the eloquent Ulsterman Danny Blanchflower, was its brain.

Who is the best spurs player of all time?

Tottenham has produced some of the best players with various field positions. Some of the best players in modern football consist of Harry Kane, Son Min Heung and Jamaine Defoe, among others. But we have to agree that Danny Blanchflower still leads the list of best Tottenham Spurs players of all time.

1. Danny Blanchflower 1954 to 1963

Ranking the best tottenham hotspurs players of all time
Sport, Football, pic: 1970's, Danny Blanchflower, Northern Ireland Manager, was once a captain of the famous Tottenham Hotspur "Double" winning side 1960-1961 Photo: Bob Thomas Sports.
Source: Getty Images

Blanchflower captained Tottenham to a league and FA Cup double in 1961 and was one of the team's leaders and most decorated players. The Northern Ireland midfielder also won the Cup Winners' Cup and was named Player of the Year twice while ranking him to the top of the best Tottenham team of all time.

The inspirational captain of Spurs’ double-winning side, Danny Blanchflower, is the greatest ever Spurs player of all time, not just at Spurs but also in world football. "The game is about glory," the best Tottenham Spurs player of all time said, and those words still adorn the stands at White Hart Lane to this day.

Who are the best spurs players in 2021?

While Harry Kane has struggled to regain his previous season's form, Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-min has taken over the mantle.

Among the best spurs players of all time, some are presently playing football, and some transferred to other teams. That includes Harry Kane, Jermain Defoe (Sunderland, England), Tom Huddlestone (Hull City), Robbie Keane and Ledley King (Coaches).

READ ALSO: Mohamed Abdelmonem bio: age, height, Instagram, team, awards

Sportsbrief.com compiled an article about Mohamed Abdelmonem. He is a footballer from Egypt who plays as a defender. The 23-year-old has competed for Egypt in major tournaments.

He was a key player who was named man of the match in most games leading up to the AFCON 2022 finals. To find more details about the Egyptian defender, Read here.

Authors
Kevin Omuya photo
Kevin Omuya
Kevin Omuya is a Content Writer with 4 years of experience who joined Sports Brief in 2022. In 2019 he held a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism & Digital Media from KCA University.