Five who showed how to win a major trophy as a Spurs player

It's a long-established truth that Spurs don't win anything. Whole careers have come and gone without so much as a sliver of silverware in sight.

But that's not to say it's impossible to win a trophy while a Spurs player. Five players with nothing to show for their Tottenham careers have nonetheless managed to walk away from the club with a trophy or two on the ol’ CV thanks to the benefits of the loan system.

And we’ve not even included Championship winners here (your Oliver Skipps or Jack Clarkes) or the full-blown cheating of counting international titles for Hugo Lloris, Cristian Romero etc. Only top-tier club trophies, won by players while still contracted to Tottenham who won nothing at Tottenham.

Here we go…

Federico Fazio – 2015/16 Europa League, SevillaThe Argentina centre-back had already won a Europa League in his previous seven-year spell at the club – there would frankly be something deeply wrong if you managed to spend seven years at Sevilla without winning one – and then returned to add a second in 2016 after a difficult 18 months in north London.

Returned to Spurs that summer before being immediately shipped off to Roma, who he would join permanently in the summer of 2017 and rack up almost 170 appearances for before leaving for Salernitana just before that sweet, sweet Europa Conference success under Jose Mourinho.

Juan Foyth – 2020/21 Europa League, VillarrealFoyth's Tottenham career was one apparently doomed for disaster from his very first Premier League appearance in which he conceded two penalties against Wolves. Later in that troubled first season he would come on as a half-time substitute for Toby Alderweireld at Bournemouth and be red-carded three minutes later.

But his time at Villarreal got off to a far more auspicious start, scoring on debut against Sivasspor in a Europa League campaign that would end with victory over Manchester United in Gdansk on a night when another former Tottenham man, Etienne Capoue was named man of the match.

Foyth was substituted in the closing minutes of normal time, meaning he was merely a spectator to one of the all-time great penalty shoot-outs, in which the first 21 penalties were scored before United keeper David De Gea became the unlikely fall guy.

Cameron Carter-Vickers – 2021/22 Scottish Premier League, 2021/22 Scottish League Cup, CelticThis one has narrative out the wazoo of course, because Carter-Vickers won those trophies (and the domestic treble this season after joining Celtic permanently) under Ange Postecoglou who is the current unlucky holder of the title of Spurs’ Obvious New First Choice Manager Despite Repeated Insistence That Actually There Is No First Choice, Guys.

USA centre-back Carter-Vickers had never really cracked it at Spurs, his five appearances coming in the domestic cups back in 2016/17 before what turned out to be a farewell appearance for the club in a 1-0 Europa Conference qualifying first-leg defeat to Pacos Ferreira. Unsurprisingly, he spent pretty much all of his time in the Spurs senior set-up out on loan. Celtic was his seventh, last and by far most successful temporary switch. He made 47 appearances in all competitions in 2021/22 as Celtic regained the title and won the League Cup for good measure, earning himself a permanent move and even more success under the seemingly-now-Tottenham-bound Postecoglou.

Tanguy Ndombele – 2022/23 Serie A, NapoliTottenham's maverick and almost uniquely unsuccessful approach to squad-building means that the current squad list for 2023/24 makes alarming reading. Despite it being wildly obvious that significant upgrades are required across pretty much all departments of the squad, the list of senior first-team footballers actually technically in that squad is vast and unwieldy, containing all manner of players you would be easily forgiven for thinking had been sold at least 18 months ago.

As things stand, the 2023/24 Tottenham squad includes Giovani Lo Celso, Harry Winks, Sergio Reguilon and Joe Rodon. And also Serie A winner Tanguy Ndombele, who contributed one single goal and no assists across 30 mainly substitute and often brief appearances in Napoli's stunning march to their first title since the Maradona Era. Very similar players in very many ways.

To the delight of all right-thinking lunatics, Ndombele – who still has two years to run on his Tottenham contract – is now making noises about rekindling his Premier League career back in north London. Yes please.

Bryan Gil – 2022/23 Europa League, SevillaWe deliberately left one man out of that 2023/24 squad list: one-man Beatles tribute act Bryan Gil, whose loan spell at Sevilla has ended with its customary reward of a Europa League medal.

Of course, Gil's return to Sevilla this season was already one of the Spursiest bits of transfer business on record, meaning as it did that the Spanish club had in exchange for Bryan Gil received Erik Lamela, £20-odd million and Bryan Gil. The banter reached fever pitch when Gil and Lamela combined to score the extra-time winner that dumped Juventus out in the semi-final, with Lamela going on to perform some memorable and trademark housery in one of the most shithouse finals on record against Jose Mourinho's Roma, having replaced Gil at half-time. Bring him home, Ange. Bring them both home.