One of the most reliable teams in England is Tottenham Hotspur, who regularly competes in both the First Division and the Premier League. They have won numerous trophies over the years, even if the 2008 Carling Cup was their most recent victory.
A team’s potential to win trophies depends on every position, and goalkeepers are crucial to that. They are under pressure not only to save a stunning shot, but also to coordinate counterattacks with their backline. Arguably the hardest position to play is this one.
Tottenham has fielded numerous goalkeepers of the highest calibre. Spurs have consistently had a dependable goalie in goal from the 1950s to the present, especially under pressure. Right now, the top 10 goalkeepers in Spurs history are included in this article.
Ranking Factors:
Impact at Tottenham,
Trophies Won
The list of the all-time greatest Tottenham goalkeepers includes Tony Parks (1980–1988).
Despite having played fewer than 50 games for Tottenham, Tony Parks manages to make it onto this list thanks to a memorable performance in the 1984 UEFA Cup final. In a thrilling penalty shootout match against Anderlecht, Parks’s crucial stop brought an unforgettable stint to an end as Ray Clemence’s replacement. Parks’s time as a custodian at White Hart Lane is now unforgettable, but that was his best moment as a hero. That did turn out to be the pinnacle of his career, since his brief stints at Falkirk and Brentford didn’t go as planned.
Tottenham appearance statistics: 47
Clean Sheets:17 Goals conceded: 50
9. Heurelho Gomes
2008–2014
Spurs player Heurelho Gomes warming up
Heurelho Gomes was the epitome of the “hot and cold” goalie. The Brazilian could be amazing on his best days, but he was also prone to making a number of errors. A prime example of this was when Gomes was sent off in the 2010 Champions League match at the San Siro against European champions Inter Milan for fouling Jonathan Biabiany inside the first ten minutes. Tottenham fell behind 4-0 in the first 35 minutes of the game and ultimately lost 4–3. But he was also impressive when he did things. He played a significant role in Spurs’ top four finish in the 2009–2010 campaign and had several standout saves against fierce rivals Arsenal.
Tottenham’s statistics:
134 appearances
46 clean sheets; 149 goals conceded.
8. Paul Robinson
2004–2008
Paul Robinson, the custodian for Tottenham Hotspur, stops the ball.
Paul Robinson was only at Tottenham for four years, and much like Gomes, he had a mixed record. Leeds sent him over in 2004 for a reported £1.5 million. He participated in every league game (76) in the seasons of 2005–2006 and 2006–2007, giving confidence in the defence. Against Watford, he even scored from within his own box. Although he had two excellent seasons at Spurs, his career was marred by errors in his final season, which included the 2008 Carling Cup final. Despite this, Robinson was one of Tottenham’s better goalkeepers—considering that he played for England 41 times.
Tottenham appearance statistics: 175
51 clean sheets
Goals conceded: 213
7. Ian Walker
From 1989 to 2001
Ian Walker started out in the Tottenham academy and made his way up to the first team in 1989. Walker was primarily utilised as a backup custodian in the early 1990s, but he was given the opportunity to take over as the starting custodian when Erik Thorstvedt of the Spurs suffered a catastrophic injury. He made 17 league appearances in the 1992–1993 season, but he went on to play 301 games for Tottenham Hotspur overall. In the 1998–1999 season, he was crucial to Spurs’ victory in the 1999 Football League Cup Final, which they won at Wembley Stadium after defeating Leicester City 1-0. Despite his eventual fall from the club’s favour, he enjoyed an outstanding stint.
Tottenham appearance statistics: 301
Clean Sheets: 81
413 Goals conceded.
6. Erik Thorstvedt
From 1988 to 1996
Erik Thorstvedt in a Spurs game
After leaving Goteborg to join Tottenham in 1988, Erik Thorstvedt played 199 games for the team in the following years. In 1991, he won the FA Cup with Spurs, making him the first Norwegian ever to do so. He went on to become the second Norwegian player to compete in the Premier League. Alongside the aforementioned Ian Walker, the custodian offered assurance between the sticks. The only title he won with the team before things soured in the middle of the 1990s was the FA Cup in 1991. In 1996, Thorstvedt retired because of back problems.
Tottenham appearance statistics: 199
Clean Sheets: 52 Goals Conceded: 247
5. William Brown
1959–1966
Brown signed a £16,500 contract with Tottenham in 1959. After that, he worked for White Hart Lane for the following seven years, where he established himself as one of the team’s all-time great goalkeepers. In 1961, he not only won the league but also the FA Cup, missing just one game over the whole season. In 1962 and 1963, he also contributed to the team’s victories in the FA Cup and the European Cup Winners’ Cup. After suffering injuries in the 1960s, he started to lose his starting spot in the lineup until Pat Jennings joined the squad. Even so, he is still regarded with affection in spite of the unhappy conclusion.
Tottenham appearance statistics: 222
Clean Sheets: 42. Goals conceded: 310
4. Lloris Hugo
From 2012 to 2024
Hugo Lloris joined the MLS team LAFC in 2024 after leaving Tottenham. He left behind 12 years at Tottenham, where he was regarded as the team’s best GK of the modern era. He played with the Spurs for more than 440 games, making a number of outstanding saves. Two of his most memorable performances were a stunning stop against Sergio Aguero in a Champions League quarterfinal and a last-minute penalty save against Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Arsenal. He was a consistent player with elite skill, but he never took home a championship with Spurs. For one of the best goalkeepers of the twenty-first century, it is viewed as a huge letdown.
Tottenham appearance statistics: 444
Clean Sheets: 151 Goals conceded: 508
3. Ted Ditchburn
1939–1958
The legendary Ted Ditchburn, custodian for Tottenham and England. — Leon Yohai (@LYohai) pic.twitter.com/DQ706nq9rd 25 June 2023
Out of all the people on this list, Ted Ditchburn’s career was the most unorthodox. He began working at Spurs as a groundskeeper in 1937 and became a player in 1939. However, the mayhem didn’t end there. He served in the RAF during World War II before his football career truly took off in 1946. He was a constant on the team that won the First Division championship the following year and promoted as Division Two champions in the 1949/1950 season. In the meantime, he perfected the “short throw,” which served as the foundation for Tottenham’s fabled push-and-run tactic during Arthur Rowe’s early 1950s coaching.
Tottenham appearance statistics: 418 Clean Sheets: 258 Goals conceded: 48
2. Ray Clemence
From 1981 to 1988
Ray Clemence in a Tottenham uniform
Although Ray Clemence is more widely regarded as a Liverpool icon, his stint with Tottenham was enjoyable and deserving of praise. His time on Merseyside was far more impressive than his stint in North London. Although he was substituted for Tony Parks in the final match against Anderlecht, he went on to win the FA Cup in 1982 and the UEFA Cup in 1984. He shocked everyone by deciding to move even more from Liverpool in a £300,000 deal, even though the Reds had the upper hand because they had defeated Spurs in the 1982 League Cup final. He continues to be regarded as one of the top goalkeepers in English football.
Tottenham appearance statistics: 290
Clean Sheets: 340 goals conceded: 103
1. Jennings, Pat
1964–1977
Pat Jennings taking a Tottenham stance.
And lastly, Pat Jennings is considered the best custodian Tottenham has ever had. Jennings was superior than other goalkeepers at the time, even though he was a player for fierce rivals Arsenal. In addition to the League Cup in 1971 and 1973, he also won the FA Cup in 1967 and the UEFA Cup in 1972. In the meanwhile, he was named Footballer of the Year by the Football Writers’ Association in 1973. Three years later, he was awarded the PFA’s equivalent of the same title. He became the first goalie to win this award in the process, and he is still one of just two goalies to accomplish it, the other being Peter Shilton. Not even more than 200 appearances for Arsenal could eclipse that achievement.
Tottenham appearance statistics: 472
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Jonathan Jonathan