Tottenham could bring back these club icons for key roles.
Tottenham Hotspur are considering bringing former players (one still current) back to the club in coaching and strategic capacities, with Ben Davies and Toby Alderweireld both identified as figures who could play meaningful roles in the club’s rebuild, according to The Times.
The development reflects a growing recognition at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium that the club has been lacking the kind of football leadership and institutional knowledge that former players with deep connections to the club can provide. Daniel Levy’s departure as executive chairman last September created a vacuum that the Lewis family are still working to fill, and bringing in individuals who understand the club’s culture and identity from the inside represents a thoughtful approach to that challenge.
Alderweireld, who spent six seasons at Tottenham making before leaving and subsequently retiring from professional football at the end of the 2024-25 season, has openly expressed his desire to return to the club in a strategic role. His intelligence, his understanding of what it means to represent Tottenham at the highest level, and the respect he commands both within the football world and among the fanbase make him an attractive proposition for a club looking to rebuild with genuine football knowledge at its core.
Davies’ situation carries its own particular resonance. The Welsh defender joined Spurs from Swansea City in 2014 and made 363 appearances across 12 seasons, becoming one of the most loyal and dedicated servants the club has had in the Premier League era. A one-year contract extension was triggered last summer, but reports hint that he might not sign a deal, making the transition into a coaching or strategic role a natural next step for a player who has given so much to the club.
De Zerbi holds Davies in high regard
Roberto De Zerbi specifically named Davies among his most crucial figures during the survival run, highlighting that the veteran had come to the Lodge with the squad the night before the Everton match despite being unable to play. That level of commitment and the emotional investment he has in the club’s future makes his potential involvement in a coaching capacity all the more logical.
Both Alderweireld and Davies represent exactly the kind of figures Tottenham need around the building as they attempt to rediscover their identity and rebuild after one of the most turbulent seasons in the club’s modern history.