Tottenham Hotspur Team Profile – Club History, Players, Managers & More

This is our guide to all things Tottenham Hotspur. This article contains everything that you need to know about the club, from its history and famous players, to statistics and rivalries. Once you’ve read this you’ll be a Spurs expert and here at Sportslens you can also find regular Tottenham Hotspur news.

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Tottenham Hotspur Logo & History

Tottenham Hotspur logo

Tottenham Hotspur were founded in 1882, by a group of eleven schoolboys led by Bobby Buckle. They were already members of the Hotspur Cricket Club and formed Hotspur Football Club to play in the winter months. The name ‘Hotspur’ came from the knight Sir Henry Percy, nicknamed ‘Harry Hotspur’, whose descendants owned land in the Tottenham area.

In 1884 the name was changed to Tottenham Hotspur Football Club. It wasn’t until 1921 that the Tottenham Hotspur badge featured a cockerel. Originally they had spurs on their logo, which referred to how Sir Henry Percy used his spurs to make his horse go faster as he rode into battle and was how he earned his nickname. Spurs are also associated with fighting cocks and over time a cockerel sat on a ball, became the club’s emblem.

Tottenham Hotspur Kit

Tottenham Hotspur experimented with various different colours and designs of kit until 1989-99, when they switched and settled to a kit comprising of white shirts and navy blue shorts. While the Tottenham Hotspur shirt for home games has remained consistent, the club have switched between having white and navy socks and in European games, they traditionally wear an all-white kit.

The Tottenham Hotspur away kit is traditionally blue, while yellow is also a colour that has frequently been used. However, in recent years the club have experimented with a wide range of colours.

Club Honours

  • Premier League/English Football Championship – 2 times: 1950-51, 1960-61
  • Championship/Second Division – 2 times: 1919-20, 1949-50
  • FA Cup – 8 times: 1900-01, 1920-21, 1960-61, 1961-62, 1966-67, 1980-81, 1981-82, 1990-91
  • EFL Cup/League Cup – 4 times: 1970-71, 1972-73, 1998-99, 2007-08
  • FA Community Shield/FA Charity Shield: 7 times: 1921, 1951, 1961, 1962, 1967. 1981, 1991
  • UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup – 1 time: 1962-63
  • UEFA Europa League/UEFA Cup – 2 times: 1971-72, 1983-84

Tottenham Hotspur were the first team to win the double of the Division One title and the FA Cup in the 20th century, when they won both trophies in the 1960/61 season. Two years later they became the first English team to win a European trophy, when they lifted the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1962-63.

The trophy that they have won the most often is the FA Cup, with Spurs taking home the trophy on eight occasions. In recent years trophies have been scarce, but Tottenham Hotspur have become regulars in the Champions League, reaching the final in 2018-19.

Latest Tottenham Hotspur Betting Odds

If you want to place a Tottenham Hotspur bet this season, then this is the section for you. Below are all the odds for Spurs to win the various competitions that they’re involved in.

Competition Best Tottenham Hotspur Odds Bookmaker
Premier League 50/1 SBK
FA Cup 14/1 QuinnBet

Tottenham Squad

There are some very talented players in the current Tottenham Hotspur squad. We’re going to run through the squad by position, while also taking a look as some of the legends that have played for the club in the past.

Tottenham Goalkeeper Options

Some fine goalkeepers have graced White Hart Lane, including Ted Ditchburn, Bill Brown, Pat Jennings, Ray Clemence, Erik Thorstvedt and Paul Robinson. Here are the current contenders for the Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper shirt.

  • 1. Hugo Lloris (France)
  • 20. Fraser Forster (England)
  • 40. Brandon Austin (England)

Tottenham Defenders

Top teams are built upon top defenders. Amongst the defenders to have shone for Spurs are Alf Ramsey, Maurice Norman, Cyril Knowles, Mike England, Phil Beal, Chris Hughton, Gary Mabbutt, Ledley King, Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld. Here are the current Tottenham Hotspur defenders.

  • 2. Matt Doherty (Republic of Ireland)
  • 6. Davinson Sanchez (Colombia)
  • 12. Emerson Royal (Brazil)
  • 14. Ivan Perisic (Croatia)
  • 15. Eric Dier (England)
  • 17. Cristian Romero (Argentina)
  • 19. Ryan Sessegnon (England)
  • 24. Djed Spence (England)
  • 25. Japhet Tanganga (England)
  • 33. Ben Davies (Wales)
  • 34. Clement Lenglet (France)

Tottenham Midfielders

Over the years some magnificent midfielders have played for the Tottenham Hotspur team. Legendary figures include Ron Burgess, Danny Blanchflower, Dave Mackay, John White, Alan Mullery, Martin Peters, Steve Perryman, Ossie Ardiles, Glenn Hoddle, Chris Waddle, Paul Gascoigne, Darren Anderton, David Ginola, Mousa Dembele and Christian Eriksen. Here are the modern day midfielders at Tottenham Hotspur.

  • 4. Oliver Skipp (England)
  • 5. Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (Denmark)
  • 11. Bryan Gil (Spain)
  • 29. Pape Matar Sarr (Senegal)
  • 30. Rodrigo Bentancur (Uruguay)
  • 38. Yves Bissouma (Mali)
  • 42. Harvey White (England)

Tottenham Strikers

Some of the deadliest sharpshooters in football have played for Tottenham Hotspur. These include Bobby Smith, Cliff Jones, Jimmy Greaves, Alan Gilzean, Martin Chivers, Steve Archibald, Clive Allen, Gary Lineker, Teddy Sheringham, Jurgen Klinsmann, Robbie Keane, Jermain Defoe, Dimitar Berbatov and Gareth Bale. Here are the current Spurs strikers.

  • 7. Heung-Min Son (South Korea)
  • 9. Richarlison (Brazil)
  • 10. Harry Kane (England)
  • 21. Dejan Kulusevski (Sweden)
  • 27. Lucas Moura (Brazil)

Tottenham Hotspur Players with Most Appearances

The club has has many loyal players that have amassed hundreds of appearances. Here are the top ten players who have played the most Tottenham Hotspur matches.

Rank Player Name Years League Games FA Cup Matches League Cup Appearances European Games Other Matches Total
1 Steve Perryman 1969-1986 655 69 66 64 12 866
2 Gary Mabbutt 1982-1998 477 45 60 22 7 611
3 Pat Jennings 1964-1977 472 43 39 36 0 590
4 Tom Morris 1888-1912 485 38 0 0 0 523
5 Cyrill Knowles 1964-1975 402 42 32 30 0 506
6 Glenn Hoddle 1975-1987 377 48 44 21 0 490
7 Ted Ditchburn 1946-1958 418 34 0 0 1 452
8 Alan Gilzean 1964-1974 343 40 28 28 0 439
9 Jimmy Dimmock 1919-1931 400 38 0 0 0 438
10 Phil Beal 1963-1975 333 30 27 30 0 420

All Time Tottenham Top Scorers

Tottenham Hotspur have had some legendary forwards over their history. Here are the players that have helped Tottenham Hotspur score most often.

Rank Player Name Years League Goals FA Cup Goals League Cup Goals European Goals Other Goals Total
1 Jimmy Greaves 1961-1970 220 32 5 9 0 266
2 Harry Kane 2009-Present 187 14 7 44 0 252
3 Bobby Smith 1955-1964 176 22 0 10 0 208
4 Martin Chivers 1968-1976 118 11 23 22 0 174
5 Cliff Jones 1958-1968 135 16 1 7 0 159
6 Jermain Defoe 2004-2008, 2009-2014 91 15 14 23 0 143
7 George Hunt 1930-1937 125 13 0 0 0 138
8 Len Duquemin 1946-1957 114 20 0 0 0 134
9 Alan Gilzean 1964-1974 93 21 6 13 0 133
10 Heung-Min Son 2015-Present 93 12 4 22 0 131

Biggest Tottenham Signings & Transfers

Tottenham Hotspur FC have broken transfer records, both when buying players and selling them. In this section we’re going to examine the biggest ever Tottenham Hotspur transfers.

Most Expensive Tottenham Hotspur Transfers

Tottenham Hotspur are one of the richest clubs in the world and with their new stadium generating lots of money, have been splashing the cash. Below is the list of the most expensive Tottenham Hotspur transfer signings.

Rank Player Name Year Signed Club Signed From Reported Fee
1 Tanguy Ndombele 2019 Lyon £55m
2 Richarlison 2022 Everton £50m
3 Cristian Romero 2022 Atalanta £42.5m
4 Davinson Sanchez 2017 Ajax £42m
5 Erik Lamela 2013 Roma £30m
5 Moussa Sissoko 2016 Newcastle United £30m
7 Steven Bergwijn 2020 PSV £27m
8 Roberto Soldado 2013 Valencia £26m
9 Yves Bissouma 2022 Brighton & Hove Albion £25m
9 Emerson Royal 2021 Barcelona £25m
9 Sergio Reguilon 2020 Real Madrid £25m
9 Ryan Sessegnon 2019 Fulham £25m
9 Lucas Moura 2018 Paris Saint-Germain £25m

Club’s Most Expensive Sales

At one point the sale of Gareth Bale to Real Madrid was the biggest transfer fee ever received by a club. Here are the top ten biggest players sales by Tottenham Hotspur.

Rank Player Name Year Sold Club Sold To Reported Fee
1 Gareth Bale 2013 Real Madrid £86.3m
2 Kyle Walker 2017 Manchester City £53m
3 Luka Modric 2012 Real Madrid £33m
4 Dimitar Berbatov 2008 Manchester United £30.75m
5 Steven Bergwijn 2022 Ajax £26m
6 Kieran Trippier 2019 Atletico Madrid £20m
7 Robbie Keane 2008 Liverpool £19m
8 Michael Carrick 2006 Manchester United £18.6m
9 Christian Eriksen 2020 Internazionale £18m
9 Kevin Wimmer 2017 Stoke City £18m

Tottenham Hotspur Manager List

Bill Nicholson stands head and shoulders above every other manager of Tottenham Hotspur football club. With a league title, three FA Cups, two League Cups, a European Cup Winners’ Cup and a UEFA Cup, Nicholson is by far the most successful manager that the club have ever had. Here is the full list of Tottenham Hotspur managers.

  • Frank Brettell (1898-1899)
  • John Cameron (1899-1907)
  • Fred Kirkham (1907-1908)
  • Peter McWilliam (1912-1927)
  • Billy Minter (1927-1929)
  • Percy Smith (1929-1935)
  • Jack Tresadern (1935-1938)
  • Peter McWilliam (1938-1942)
  • Arthur Turner (1942-1946)
  • Joe Hulme (1946-1949)
  • Arthur Rowe (1949-1955)
  • Jimmy Anderson (1955-1958)
  • Bill Nicholson (1958-1974)
  • Terry Neill (1974-1976)
  • Keith Burkinshaw (1976-1984)
  • Peter Shreeve (1984-1986)
  • David Pleat (1986-1987)
  • Terry Venables (1987-1991)
  • Peter Shreeve (1991-1992)
  • Doug Livermore/Ray Clemence (1992-1993)

  • Ossie Ardiles (1993-1994)
  • Steve Perryman (1994-1994)
  • Gerry Francis (1994-1997)
  • Chris Hughton (1997-1997)
  • Christian Gross (1997-1998)
  • David Pleat (1998-1998)
  • George Graham (1998-2001)
  • Glenn Hoddle (2001-2003)
  • David Pleat (2003-2004)
  • Jacques Santini (2004-2004)
  • Martin Jol (2004-2007)
  • Clive Allen/Alex Inglethorpe (2008-2008)
  • Harry Redknapp (2008-2012)
  • Andre Villas-Boas (2012-2013)
  • Tim Sherwood (2013-2014)
  • Mauricio Pochettino (2014-2019)
  • Jose Mourinho (2019-2021)
  • Ryan Mason (2021-2021)
  • Nuno Espirto Santo (2021-2021)
  • Antonio Conte (2021-Present)

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

560px Tottenham Hotspur Stadium June 2019 view from East

Home Tottenham Hotspur games are played at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium capacity is 62,850.

Spurs moved to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in 2019. Home Tottenham Hotspur fixtures had previously been played at Wembley Stadium for two years, while the new ground was being built. Between 1899 and 2017, Tottenham Hotspur had played their home games at White Hart Lane.

Tottenham Rivalries

Based in London, Tottenham Hotspur face a number of intense derbies each season against rival clubs from the capital. They also face a number of big games against the Premier League’s most successful clubs from around the rest of the country.

In this section we’re going to take a look at and the biggest rivalries of Tottenham Hotspur.

Tottenham vs Arsenal

There is no bigger foe for Tottenham Hotspur than Arsenal. The Tottenham Hotspur vs Arsenal fixture is known as the North London Derby. Arsenal were originally based in South London, but moved to Highbury in 1913, just four miles from White Hart Lane, which properly began the rivalry between the clubs.

Tensions were exacerbated in 1919. After the World War I the First Division was being expanded by two teams and a vote was held to determine who those sides had been. Tottenham Hotspur had finished bottom of the 20-team First Division in the last season before the war and the vote was expected to be between them and Barnsley, who had finished between third in Division Two. Yet Arsenal also applied and despite finishing sixth in Division Two, were awarded the promotion, with Tottenham Hotspur relegated.

The antipathy between the clubs has only grown over the years, perhaps peaking when the Spurs captain Sol Campbell left the club to join Arsenal on a free transfer. Here is the breakdown of Tottenham Hotspur results in the North London Derby.

Competition Tottenham Wins Draws Arsenal Wins
League 55 47 68
FA Cup 2 0 4
League Cup 4 3 7
European Matches 0 0 0
Other Games 0 1 0
Total 61 51 79

Tottenham vs Chelsea

Another intense London rivalry exists with Chelsea. A survey revealed that though Spurs supporters consider Arsenal to be their main rival, Chelsea fans picked Tottenham Hotspur to be their biggest rival.

The rivalry really sprang into life when Tottenham Hotspur beat Chelsea in the 1967 FA Cup final. This built in the 1974-75 season when both clubs were fighting against relegation, with Spurs staying up by a single point and Chelsea being relegated. Tottenham Hotspur beat Chelsea in the 2007-08 League Cup Final, but lost when the clubs met again in the 2014-15 final. Here is the full breakdown of results in the Chelsea vs Tottenham Hotspur fixture.

Competition Tottenham Wins Draws Chelsea Wins
League 47 38 62
FA Cup 4 2 6
League Cup 4 2 7
European Matches 0 0 0
Other Games 0 0 0
Total 55 42 77

Tottenham vs Man United

Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United were two of the best teams in England during the 1960s. There were also fairly evenly matched in the 70s and 80s, but this changed when Manchester United began to have major success under Alex Ferguson in the 90s and beyond. One of the many trophies won by Ferguson was the 2009 League Cup final, when they defeated Tottenham Hotspur in the final.

If wasn’t until Ferguson left that Tottenham Hotspur were able to compete against the Manchester club and regularly finish above them in the Premier League. Here is the complete record of results between the teams.

Competition Tottenham Wins Draws Manchester United Wins
League 42 43 85
FA Cup 5 5 6
League Cup 5 0 3
European Matches 1 0 1
Other Games 0 1 0
Total 53 49 95

Tottenham vs Liverpool

Another club that have been far more successful than Tottenham Hotspur over the decades are Liverpool. Again, things have evened up over recent years, but Liverpool then moved to another level under Jurgen Klopp.

Liverpool have twice won finals against Tottenham Hotspur, first winning the League Cup Final of 1983 and then more recently, the Champions League final of 2019. Here is the breakdown of results between the clubs.

Competition Tottenham Wins Draws Liverpool Wins
League 42 41 75
FA Cup 1 2 4
League Cup 4 1 3
European Matches 1 0 2
Other Games 0 0 3
Total 48 44 87

Tottenham vs Man City

Man City might be the most successful club in England since Pep Guardiola took charge, but Tottenham Hotspur have managed to be a thorn in their side, beating them several times, including both Premier League games in the 2021-22 season.

Tottenham Hotspur F.C. also beat Manchester City on away goals in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, after a thrilling 4-4 draw after two legs. The clubs have met twice in cup finals, with Tottenham Hotspur winning the 1981 FA Cup Final and Manchester City winning the 2021 League Cup Final. Here are the full set of results.

Competition Tottenham Wins Draws Manchester City Wins
League 56 33 58
FA Cup 6 3 5
League Cup 3 0 1
European Matches 1 0 1
Other Games 0 0 0
Total 65 36 65

Tottenham vs West Ham

A third London club that consider Tottenham Hotspur to be their main rival are West Ham. The Hammers are based in East London and over the years, its Spurs in North East London that have tended to be their closest team geographically.

West Ham and Tottenham Hotspur have been playing each other since before the clubs even entered the Football League. Here is the full breakdown of results.

Competition Tottenham Wins Draws West Ham Wins
League 88 48 60
FA Cup 6 3 2
League Cup 5 2 4
European Matches 0 0 0
Other Games 0 0 0
Total 99 53 66

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