Tottenham Hotspur are among the most well-known clubs in the world. They have been home to legendary players like Luka Modrić, Harry Kane and Gareth Bale. However, not a lot is spoken about their academy. The North London club has a rich history of producing homegrown stars who have gone on to achieve great things both domestically and internationally.
This SportsDunia article will spotlight ten exceptional talents who have emerged from the Spurs academy, exploring their journeys, their impact on the club, and their contributions to the beautiful game.
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List of The Greatest Tottenham Hotspur Academy Players
10. Harry Winks
Harry Winks rose through the Tottenham Hotspur youth academy, making his senior debut in 2014. Winks was highly rated for his ability to dictate the tempo of a match with his passing and intelligence, an uncommon profile among English midfielders.
However he never quite managed to establish himself at Spurs. He did make 203 appearances but most of them were off the bench. The Englishman spent 2022/23 on loan at Sampdoria before moving permanently to Leicester City, with whom he’s now back in the Premier League.
9. Kyle Walker-Peters
Kyle Walker-Peters is a dynamic full-back touted as the homegrown Kyle Walker replacement at Tottenham. Although he made only 24 appearances for the Lilywhites, he has blossomed into a key figure at Southampton since moving there in 2019/20.
One of the best traits about Walker-Peters is his versatility. Not often do we see fullbacks who can easily play both on the left and the right. The 27-year-old is back in the Premier League this season as Southampton got promoted and will once again be eager to show his mettle.
8. Jake Livermore
Jake Livermore came up through the Tottenham Hotspur academy and has since played 58 times for them. He has enjoyed a consistent career away from Spurs though, mostly in the Championship, for clubs like Leeds United, Watford, Milton Keynes, Ipswich Town, Derby County, Peterborough United, Hull City and West Bromwich Albion.
The 34-year-old is a typical industrious English workhorse midfielder whose strengths lie in his tackling, interception, and ability to break up play. At the time of writing, Livermore is now 34 years old and is a free agent having left Watford at the end of 2023/24.
7. Ryan Mason
Ryan Mason was seen as an up-and-coming midfielder from the Spurs academy with decent potential. Tragically however, his playing career was cut short due to a severe head injury (fractured skull) sustained during a match against Chelsea in 2017 when he was playing for Hull City.
Undeterred though, Mason did his coaching badges after retiring in 2018 and has transitioned seamlessly into management. He has been the interim manager for Spurs on two separate spells, becoming the youngest manager to take charge of a Premier League game at 29. Presently, the former midfielder serves as an assistant manager to Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou.
6. Stephen Carr
Stephen Carr was a right-back who emerged from the academy and would go on to spend the majority of his career at Spurs. He made his debut for the club in 1993 and left a decade later in 2004, having made 226 league appearances scoring 7 goals. Carr was a key member of the Spurs team that won the League Cup in 1999.
Following his stint at Tottenham, he would go on to play for Newcastle United from 2004 to 2008 and then Birmingham City from 2009 to 2013, where he was also notably the club captain. Internationally, Carr represented the Republic of Ireland 44 times from 1999 to 2007. He announced his retirement at the end of the 2012/13 season.
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5. Andros Townsend
Andros Townsend came through the Tottenham Hotspur academy and made his Premier League debut in 2012. He made 50 league appearances for Spurs but was never quite deemed good enough, going on a number of lower-division loan spells. Townsend has since played for clubs like Newcastle United, Crystal Palace, Everton, and now Luton Town.
He played 13 times for England, even getting on the scoresheet thrice. The Englishman’s best career moment came in 2018 when scored a stunning long-range goal for Crystal Palace against Manchester City, which won Premier League Goal of the Month and Goal of the Season. While injuries have occasionally disrupted his progress, Townsend is having a decent time at Luton presently.
4. Peter Crouch
The only reason Peter Crouch is so low on this list is because he only spent 3 years in the Spurs youth system. Crouchy also never made an appearance for them immediately after. However, he would return in 2009, and make 73 league appearances for the club, scoring 12 times. Outside of Spurs though, Crouch would go on to have a great career.
He is one of only 33 players to have netted more than 100 Premier League goals and no one in the history of the competition has more headed goals than him. Crouchinho was capped 42 times by the England national team between 2005 and 2010, scoring 22 goals for his country during that time. He also played for a lot of clubs, including Stoke City, Liverpool, QPR, Aston Villa, Norwich City, Burnley, Portsmouth and Southampton.
3. Ledley King
Tottenham have had few bigger legends than Ledley King. King was a stalwart defender who came through the ranks, made his debut in 1999 and played for Spurs till retirement in 2012. A one-club man, he made 323 league appearances for the club and was known for his leadership.
Despite chronic knee issues, he is widely regarded as one of the most gifted English defenders of his era. The Bow native was capped 21 times for England between 2002 and 2010. It is widely believed that if his injury issues hadn’t bothered him, he would have been known as one of the greatest defenders in the game.
2. Sol Campbell
Sol Campbell is one of the most divisive figures in North London. The center-back came up through the Tottenham youth system, making his debut for them in 1992. He would go on to make over 200 league appearances for the Lilywhites, even captaining them.
However in 2001, at the end of his contract, he moved to arch-rivals Arsenal on a free transfer. The defender would go on to win two Premier League titles including being a part of their famous ‘Invincibles’ season, much to the dismay of Spurs fans.
1. Harry Kane
By far the biggest name on this list, Harry Kane is Tottenham through and through. He became a part of their youth system in 2004 before being called up to the first team in 2009. The striker wasn’t seen as a particularly exciting youngster and was sent on multiple loan spells. Once made a part of the main squad by Mauricio Pochettino in 2014, Kane never looked back.
A PFA Young Player of the Year, 3 Premier League Golden Boots, a PFA Player of the Year, and 6 PFA Premier League Team of the Season inclusions alongside 341 goal contributions followed. What didn’t was a trophy and that is why he left for Bayern Munich at the end of 2023/24 for a deal worth a sizeable amount.
FAQs
Q. Who are the best players to have come through the Tottenham Academy?
A. Harry Kane, Sol Campbell and Ledley King are some of the best players to have emerged from the Tottenham academy.
Q. Who are some of the greatest Tottenham players of all time?
A. Harry Kane, Jimmy Greaves and Dave Mackay are believed to be some of the greatest Tottenham players of all time.
Q. Did Kane come through the Spurs Academy?
A. Yes, Harry Kane is a product of the Spurs Academy.
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