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World Class Spurs players since 1986

cookiemonster

Well-Known Member
Dec 29, 2005
2,715
5,834
I remember going to Old Trafford for a FACUP game and our front two was Fenn and Paul McVeigh.

Legends who bestrode the pitch like the colossus they were.

It was Fenn and Rory Allen

I think will be playing until today and still wouldn't score
 

southlondonyiddo

My eyes have seen some of the glory..
Nov 8, 2004
12,599
15,011
Hoddle - In a class of his own. In today's era where he wouldn't be kicked every two minutes he'd the second best player on the planet behind Messi. IMO at his best he was definitely the best European player and probably second best in the world behind Maradona. Had the best first touch of any footballer I've ever seen and was the most two footed player I've ever seen. Almost always double marked and remorselessly fouled, but never hid from wanting the ball.

Gascoigne - Not as good as Hoddle but still an amazing talent. An amazing dribbler at his peak but probably wouldn't get away with his elbow dribbles in the modern era though.

Lineker - World class goal scorer. Even in a poor Spurs side he still topped the charts.

They're the only three in my opinion. Notable other talents are:

Bale - had a great final season with us in terms of goal scoring exploits but people forget his all round game that season was often poor. I lost count of the amount of very poor performances he put in that he turned around in the blink of an eye with a world class goal. He is world class now though so maybe he should count.

King - Would've been world class had it not been for injuries.

Klinsmann - Massively over rated by Spurs fans but still a very good player. Thrived under Ardiles but from October onwards was comprehensively out performed by Sheringham in practically every department.

Sheringham - Very under rated by the Spurs faithful and the footballing community at large until he went to Man Utd. His best playing years were for Spurs between 92 to 96. It's a shame that it took a move to Utd for him to earn more recognition.

Waddle - Could be very hit and miss. When he was a hit, he was world class. Other times he was a waste of a shirt.

Carrick - The best English defensive midfielder I've ever seen. Criminally under rated for what he is good at (Positioning, tackling etc.) and massively over rated for things he isn't that great at (mainly creative passing).

Modric - An ultimate all rounder. Could do a bit of everything.

Ginola - Bit like Waddle in terms of when he was on his game he was practically unstoppable. But when he wasn't, he was poor. Incredible natural talent and in terms of pure visual poetry in motion technique the best I've seen in a Spurs shirt.

Berbatov - Could've been a world class forward if not for his attitude. Even with the attitude still an amazing talent.

Ziege - One of the best wing backs in the world and could cross a ball as well as Beckham.
Campbell - Sad but true.

Lloris - Our best Premier League keeper.

Just before 86:

Ardiles - Wasn't a top quality player in 86/87 but at his best for us he was. He was a better version of Modric in his prime.

Clemence - Was a world class keeper pre-86. Still close to it in the 86/87 season.

Archibald - Sulky bar steward at times but a very much under rated Spurs player. Absolutely brilliant at his best.

Agree with a lot of the above but:


Klinsmann over rated and Sheringham under rated!?!?

The season before Klinsmann joined us I thought Teddy was amazing. When Jurgen joined us at the age of 30 he was at another level. Teddy was very good, Jurgen was world class

Bale should definitely count, was world class with us even before his move to Madrid. Will never forget Inter 4 Bale 3
 

spids

Well-Known Member
Jul 19, 2015
6,647
27,841
Jurgen Kilnsmann, Gary Lineker. Both did it at World Cups (plural) and at every club they played for. It would be controversial to add Gazza to that list despite being one of the top 3 players at Italia '90 (pre-injury) along with Ruud Gullit and Lothar Mattheus, and without doubt one of the best English players ever. For me Hoddle was betteer than Gascoigne but never really shone on the international stage. I think he was born an era too soon. Modric, Ginola, Berbatov all fall short of World Class with us as they did not do it internationally on the biggest stage, or for us in the CL. Bale was right up there for 18 months, but has not set Madrid alight which in turn questions his world class credentials (although his 31 goal season was a world class performance in my eyes). I have no doubts that Ledley King was World Class but he never got the chance to prove it on the biggest stage due to injuries and loyalty to us.
 

RicOfPeace

Well-Known Member
May 20, 2015
413
1,044
Genuine World Class I'd have to say Gareth Bale, Paul Gascoigne, Gary Lineker, Luka Modric, Ledley King, Glenn Hoddle, Jurgen Klinsmann, David Ginola & tbh so close to being world class (if he was English the country would have banged on about him Rooney style) Robbie Keane.


although quite stunned to see Hugo Lloris make it into the world class category of some (my opinion is by spurs fans he is massively overrated)
 

yusrisafri

Well-Known Member
Jun 27, 2004
6,369
7,548
Ginola - Bit like Waddle in terms of when he was on his game he was practically unstoppable. But when he wasn't, he was poor. Incredible natural talent and in terms of pure visual poetry in motion technique the best I've seen in a Spurs shirt..

Agree with almost all that you wrote except for this part. IMO Hoddle was the best I've seen in a spurs shirt if you talk about poetry in motion
 

nicdic

Official SC Padre
Admin
May 8, 2005
41,857
25,919
I hate to be the guy, but listing Davids and VDV is silly. They may have been world class at some point in their career, but definitely not while they were with us. Also players like Ginola honestly don't get anywhere near despite how good they could be for us.

Glad to see we've recognised that Fergie's definition is at least in part to spite other players. Going on the definition many others have been using of being able to get into any team in the world I'd say the following...

Gascoigne
Lineker
Klinsmann
Sheringham
Campbell
King
Modric
Bale
Lloris
 

alexis

Well-Known Member
Sep 1, 2012
1,820
3,372
Agree with a lot of the above but:


Klinsmann over rated and Sheringham under rated!?!?

The season before Klinsmann joined us I thought Teddy was amazing. When Jurgen joined us at the age of 30 he was at another level. Teddy was very good, Jurgen was world class

Bale should definitely count, was world class with us even before his move to Madrid. Will never forget Inter 4 Bale 3
Even though klinsmann rated teddy as the best he'd played with
 

Gbspurs

Gatekeeper for debates, King of the plonkers
Jan 27, 2011
26,945
61,823
Genuine World Class I'd have to say Gareth Bale, Paul Gascoigne, Gary Lineker, Luka Modric, Ledley King, Glenn Hoddle, Jurgen Klinsmann, David Ginola & tbh so close to being world class (if he was English the country would have banged on about him Rooney style) Robbie Keane.


although quite stunned to see Hugo Lloris make it into the world class category of some (my opinion is by spurs fans he is massively overrated)

Not sure about Hugo being overrated. I suspect if you put together a video of game winning saves he made the points tally he has earned us would be quite high.
 

nailsy

SC Supporter
Jul 24, 2005
30,536
46,628
I hate to be the guy, but listing Davids and VDV is silly. They may have been world class at some point in their career, but definitely not while they were with us. Also players like Ginola honestly don't get anywhere near despite how good they could be for us.

Glad to see we've recognised that Fergie's definition is at least in part to spite other players. Going on the definition many others have been using of being able to get into any team in the world I'd say the following...

Gascoigne
Lineker
Klinsmann
Sheringham
Campbell
King
Modric
Bale
Lloris

Ginola was player of the year while he was playing for us. The best player in the whole league.....In the year United won the treble. Its very difficult to say he wasn't world class that season.
 

stormfly

Well-Known Member
Dec 6, 2006
4,584
11,990
Berbatov would have been world class if he could have been bothered. The game looked easy for him when he was playing for us. I was gutted when he went to Man Utd but he never really reached the heights I expected in the end. I guess the moral is: if you are a class player, stay with spurs ;)
 

cider spurs

Well-Known Member
Jul 5, 2016
9,399
23,731
They're all World class, every single one of them who donned the Spurs shirt.

Can't be any other way, Spurs is my team and I think they're the best team in the World. Stands to right that our players past and present are the classiest in the World.
 

fatpiranha

dismember
Jun 9, 2003
8,337
21,678
'World class' is a very subjective term.

Most on here would rate Hoddle as world class and there is no doubt that he was an outrageously talented player but if at any time I was making a list of the 3 best World XIs would Hoddle have been in them? For me no but for many yes. The fact that he wasn't even a shoe in for the England team counts against him. He was a talented individual but not a great team player.

By contrast I think that Klinsmann and Modric are world class because they would definitely have been chosen in the 3 best teams.

I would add Lineker, (a fit) Ledley, Bale, Kane and possibly Gazza to that list.

As I say it is hugely subjective but by my reckoning of who would be chosen in the 3 best current World XIs the only current Premiership players I would count as world class are Kane, Kante, KDB and De Gea with Hazard, Toby and Sanchez as possibles.
 

guiltyparty

Well-Known Member
Sep 21, 2005
9,023
13,524
Fergie's definition is super harsh, although I hate the term.

But if you're going to engage with it, surely by definition it means those who could have played for a team who could realistically win top honours at the point in their career they were at Spurs, either on the European (as European Cup/Champions League is seen as the premier club tournament) or world stage, usually meaning they leave for a top-honours-challenging/winning side relatively swiftly?

So Lineker (Barca), Klinsmann (Bayern), Sheringham, Carrick (both won Champions League with Utd), Modric (Real), Bale (Real).

Campbell probably cuts it, played and scored in a European Cup final. Hoddle and Gazza were in talent, but didn't go to top, top teams. Hoddle got to a European Cup quarter final, but if that counts, that's a LOT of Spurs players ;)

VDV and Davids weren't world class when they came to us.
 

steve

Well-Known Member
Oct 21, 2003
3,503
1,767
Waddle in his last season at Spurs was world class and not in a great side either. That season I'd put him over most on the list including mod and vdv
 

mano-obe

Well-Known Member
Mar 2, 2005
4,238
7,518
Lineker, Gazza and Klinsmann

At a time they would have not looked out of place in a world eleven

A notch down on the cusp the likes of Modric, Toby, VDV, Ginola, Sheringham and Kane
 

spids

Well-Known Member
Jul 19, 2015
6,647
27,841
Lineker and Gazza both definitely World Class.

Ledley would have been had he not had his injuries - he never got to perform properly on a European or international stage.

Most 'pundits' would say the likes of Modric and Bale became World Class after joint Real Madrid. I personally think Bale was probably better in his last season with us than he is now.
 
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