It has become a popular meme on social media that once a footballer leaves Tottenham Hotspur for another club he instantly wins trophies.
Unfortunately, the joke seems to be a reality as in recent years the pattern has been continuous for the past decade.
Tottenham Hotspur is a massive club that plays in the English Premier League and often features in the UEFA Champions League. They reached the finals of the UEFA Champions League in 2019 but fell to a vibrant Liverpool Outfit.
Harry Kane looked heartbroken that night and I wondered if this moment was an assurance to I’m that they’d be back, or was it heartbreaking in the sense that they missed a once in a lifetime opportunity.
If we look at some of the players that have left Tottenham to win trophies there are numerous cases.
11. Joe Hart
Joe Hart is a legend of English Football and one of the best English goalkeepers of his generation. He is widely known for his dominant performances for Manchester City which saw him accumulate multiple trophies.
The English Premier League twice, the FA Cup twice, and the EFL Cup once. He left the club and went on loan to Torino after being dropped on the back of his poor showing in the Euro 2016 tournament and Pep Guardiola’s desire for a goalkeeper that was exceptional with the ball at his feet.
After moving on loan to West Ham and signing for Burnley he would finally arrive at Tottenham on a two year deal, most thought he would wind down but he had other ideas.
He left the club in a 1 million move to Celtic and since then he has won the Scottish Premier League and the Scottish Cup.
10. Vincent Janssen
Vincent Janssen is a talented Dutch forward who was the first man to score 25 goals in an eredivise for the first time in over two decades.
He won the 2016 Johann Cruyff tropy which is awarded to the Ductch talent of the year.
On 12 July 2016, Janssen agreed a move to Tottenham Hotspur for 20 million on a four-year contract. Mauricio Pochettino had seen Janssen during a friendly saying Janssen “ticked all the boxes we needed”. With his signing, he became the most expensive player sold by AZ Alkmaar in their football history
Vincent Janssen was sold to Monterrey in Mexico and won the Liga Mx, COPA MX, and CONCACAF Champions League in 2021.
9. Fernando Llorente
Fernando Llorente is an extremely talented frontman wo has represented some of the most recognizable football clubs in the world. He has represented the likes of Athletic Bilbao, Juventus, Sevilla, Napoli and Tottenham.
He scored 29 goals in all competitions in the 2011 season and was described as a “Bilbao legend”
August 2017, Tottenham complete the signing of Llorente for a reported 12 million on a two year deal. Although he would not start his first league game until March 2018, he would contribute massively to the clubs campaign by scoring the winning goal in the quarter-final fixture against Manchester City.
Llorente’s contract expired on 30 June 2019 with no word from Tottenham on his position.
And the Spanaird was included in their released players list submitted to the Premier League on 7 June 2019
The Spaniard Fernando Llorente went to Napoli and immediately won the Coppa Italia the next year.
8. Keiran Trippier
Trippier joined Man City’s academy at the age of nine, where he progressed through the ranks at the club, signing his first professional contract in 2007.
June 2015 Trippier signs for Tottenham in a reported 3 million deal and is expected to act as deputy for Kyle Walker.
His big break came in the 2016-2017 season. He performed well in the right-back position as replacement for Kyle Walker who was injured during the season and earned his first call-up for the England national squad.
Long time fan favorite Keiran Trippier left for Atletico Madrid in 2019 and won the League title under Simeone which developed him rapidly.
7. Christian Eriksen
Christian Eriksen too suffered for years, he started his career at Middlefart in Denmark and later joined Odense.
When club like Barcelona, Milan, Real Madrid and Manchester united came for his signature he said “My first step should not be too big. I knew that playing in the Netherlands would be very good for my development. Then Ajax arrived and that was a fantastic option”.
Eriksen was named Danish talent of the year and his exploits helped Ajax to their first Dutch title in 7 years. By the time he left the club he would go on to win 3 league titles.
He would arrive at Tottenham and would go on to be an integral part of the clubs incredible rise over the past decade whis saw him win a spot in the PFA team of the year in 2017.
He left for Inter Milan, and won the Italian Serie A.
6. Georges-Kévin Nkoudou
Georges-Kévin Nkoudou was sold to Besiktas for 4 million and has won the Turkish League, Turkish Cup, and Turkish Super Cup.
5. Juan Foyth
Juan Foyth who was highly regarded by former Manager Mauricio Pochetino was sold to Villareal and ended up winning the UEFA Europa League.
In October 2020 he would be sent on loan to villareal and after the loan expired villareal spent 15 million on the argentine to make him a permanent member of their squad.
4. Cameron Carter Vickers
Cameron Carter Vickers Has grown immensely since his transfer to Celtic. He won the Scottish League and Cup while also making it into the team of the year.
He was a player that was clearly talented but could not settle and adapt to the team quick enough.This saw him go on Loans to Ipswich town, Swansea, Stoke, bournemouth and Luton town.
He was sent on loan to Celtic where he found a home, made a transfer with an undisclosed fee and has rebuilt himself.
3. Kyle Walker
Kyle Walker since moving to Manchester City for 50 million pounds has won 4 Premier League titles, 1 Fa Cup, 4 EFL Cups, and two Community Sheilds, not a bad haul at all.
While at Tottenham he made a name for himself as a competent and herd working defender that was keen to move upfield given the opportunity.
In 2012 he was awarded the PFA best young player of the year defeating the likes of Gareth Bale, Sergio Aguero, Daniel Sturridge, and alex-oxlade chamberlain to the prestigious award. He was also named in the PFA team of the year.
July 2017, Walker signed a five-year contract with Premier League giants Manchester City in a transfer reported to be worth an initial £45 million. Since his move to the citizens he has won 4 premier league titles, 4 efl cups, 1 Fa cup and 2 community sheilds.
2. Gareth Bale
Gareth Bale is known as one of the most dangerous attackers on the planet today but that is not the position he started his career in. He was a leftback at Southampton becoming the youngest player to play for the club at 16 years and 275 days.
After rapidly establishing himself as one of the brightest young prospects in the league he was quickly snapped up by Tottenham Hostspur in an initial 5 million deal.
Under the guidance of Harry Redknapp, Bale would see his role change drastically as his athletic attributes also created options further up the pitch and he was good enough to exploit it.
In the 2012-13 season he would fully adapt and put on such performances that at the end of the season without any trophies he took home the Premier League player of the year award.
He would make a world record transfer to Real Madrid where he linked up with Ronaldo and Benzema to form the well known BBC trident which dominated football for multiple years.
Bale has his footprints on some of the most iconic football moments of the past decade as he went on to win 3 Spanish League titles and 5 UEFA Champiuons League trophies.
Even after is move to the MLS he has won a trophy wiTH Los Angeles FC winning the MLS cup.
1. Luka Modric
Luka Modric has been the epitome of longevity as the Croatian engine e keeps aging in reverse. Modric has been a pivotal part of the most successful football club in the modern era, Real Madrid.
He was rejected at 16 by Hadjuk Split due to being diminutive and light but Dinamo Zagreb accepted him. He went on loan to Zrinjski Mostar in Bosnia and after a season became te Bosnian Premier League player of the year at age 18. He won the croatian football hope of the year award in 2004.
Modric signed for Tottenham in 2008 for a reported 16 million deal. He was faced with extreme criticism about his ability to survive the physicality of the Premier League.
In mid-2011, Modrić was heavily pursued by Chelsea, who made a first bid of £22 million, which they increased to £27 million, both of which were rejected by Spurs. After both bids, Modrić announced he would welcome a move across London and that he had a “gentleman’s agreement” with Levy the club would entertain offers from a “big club”. On the final day of the transfer window, Chelsea made an offer of £40 million that was rejected.
Real Madrid announced they had agreed on a deal with Tottenham for an approximate 30 million. Modrić signed a five-year contract.
He has since gone on to cement is place among the best midfielders to grace the sport, winning 5 UEFA Champions league cups, 3 Spanish league titles, 4 super cups and 4 club world cups.
