Tottenham have been considered as a soft touch down the years however those opinions gradually changed during Mauricio Pochettino’s time at North London.
The most infamous occasion took place back in 2016 when nine players were booked following a series of feisty tackles, stamps and an eye gouge against Chelsea during "Battle of Stamford Bridge".
And here is the list of top ten hardest Spurs players.
10. Mousa Dembele
Getty Images
Dembele had his contribution to the Battle of Bridge, as just before half-time, he shoved his finger into Diego Costa’s eye following a brief confrontation, earning himself a subsequent six-game ban from the FA.
The Belgian was a monstrous player, who combined such physicality with balletic dribbling ability and a silky touch, that only made him a favourite to the Spurs faithful.
9. Eric Dier
Getty Images
Dier is another participant of the Battle of the Bridge, as he left the West London with a yellow card and even injured himself launching into Cesc Fabregas.
And one of the recent occasions, when Spurs fans were confronted by Dier in the stands at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium following Spurs’ penalty shootout defeat to Norwich.
8. Gary Mabbutt
Getty Images
Mabbutt, who was Spurs long-time skipper, is loved by the Spurs fans. He was a tough defender, typical of those produced in England in the 1980s, and he left nothing out on the pitch during his time with Spurs.
Mabbutt once sustained a fractured cheekbone and eye socket in a challenge with Wimbledon’s notoriously physical striker John Fashanu, but was back playing three months later with a protective mask on his face.
7. Steffen Freund
Getty Images
Steffen Freund moved to White Hart Lane the after 1997 Champions League win with Borussia Dortmund and became a fans favourite for his committed displays in midfield. He made over 100 appearances and never managed a goal for the club, but he did receive 31 yellow cards in the Premier League.
6. Steve Perryman
Getty Images
Steve Perryman is Tottenham’s all-time record appearance holder with 854 games and is an absolute hard-working midfielder who could also fill in at the back. Perryman could certainly put his boot in where it mattered and his longevity is testament to the physical standards he set himself.
5. Sandro
Getty Images
Sandro was a guitar-playing, kung-fu kicking ball of energy, who was nicknamed ‘the beast’ by Spurs fans on account of his formidable midfield displays. But unfortunately, injury problems wrecked Sandro’s time at Spurs even though he was certainly a popular player both in the dressing room and in the stands during his four years with the club.
4. Neil Ruddock
Getty Images
Neil Ruddock had two spells with Spurs in the late 1980s and early 1990s, but both were rather short lived. He was a tough, uncompromising centre-half, who once fractured Peter Beardsley’s jaw in a testimonial game and broke both of Andy Cole’s legs in one crunching challenge in a reserve game.
3. Mike England
Getty Images
Mike England was the towering Welshman, who could play in defence or attack, relished the physical battle that was part and parcel of English football during the 1960s and 70s.
2. Dave Mackay
Getty Images
Dave Mackay is indeed, one of the greatest players in Spurs' history, and was part of the team which won the First Division, three FA Cups and the Cup Winners Cup under Bill Nicholson. He spent nearly a year and a half on the sidelines after breaking his leg twice but he came back to re-establish himself as a key member of the side.
1 Graham Roberts
Getty Images
Roberts was surely one of the toughest Spurs players. During the FA Cup final in 1981, he lost three teeth in a collision but refused to be taken off. When asked who his toughest opponent was, he replied:
“I never worried about them being hard as I was hard myself.”
Source-
football.london
