Football.London

Former Tottenham talisman Paul Robinson retired from England duty just so he could get back at Fabio Capello.

Robinson - who represented the Three Lions on 41 occasions - saw his international prospects decline sharply after Capello took England's reins in 2007. The Italian was known for his rigid dietary rules, struggled with English and had a reputation for being distant with players - something Robinson experienced firsthand.

The ex-Spurs stopper - who made 175 appearances for the club - felt overlooked by Capello during what was the peak of his playing career. Robinson, 41, was at Blackburn Rovers and producing at a high level when he was left out of England's 2010 World Cup squad, hanging up his international gloves shortly after.

Reflecting on that period, Robinson shared with the Let's Be Having You! The 00s Football Podcast (via the Daily Express): "I'd been alright for Blackburn at that time under Big Sam [Sam Allardyce]. That kind of reignited my career going to Blackburn under him. He was one of the best man managers I had, so me and Fabio didn't see eye to eye anyway.

"It was no big surprise that he hadn't picked me. He was one of the big reasons I retired from international football. But I waited until he did pick me, just so I could get one back over on him. I waited until he picked me, then I retired."

The former Premier League star made a point by retiring immediately after being selected for a friendly against Hungary in August 2010. Robinson refused to be considered as a backup option and said at the time that he didn't see himself "as a number three or four keeper."

His form for Blackburn was instrumental in the club's 10th-place league finish in the 2009/10 season, yet it wasn't enough to secure him a spot in England's World Cup squad. Instead, future Tottenham stopper Joe Hart, David James and Robert Green travelled to South Africa as Capello's keeper corps.

That decision drew criticism from not only Allardyce but also England great Gordon Banks. Banks made the point at the time that Blackburn's defensive issues weren't due to Robinson, who had been solid between the sticks.

Despite a commendable run of six consecutive clean sheets for his country, Robinson's last appearance for England was marred by defeat to Russia in October 2007. It wasn't long after that England failed to qualify for Euro 2008, which is still considered one of the country's greatest shames in the modern era.

Following Capello's departure in 2012, Robinson stood firm on his decision not to return to the national team, despite some calls for his inclusion. However, he later expressed a willingness to consider playing under Roy Hodgson in the run-up to the 2014 World Cup.

The personal nature of his struggle against Capello was made even more evident by the manner of his retirement, though it came at a high cost. Capello's actions - or lack thereof - severed his ties with one of England's great talents at the time, who proved he was only too willing to make big calls of his own.

The Tottenham Hotspur Supporters' Trust have said they are "extremely disappointed" with the club's decision to increase matchday ticket prices for the second year in a row.

The club's move comes on top of the decision earlier this year to increase season ticket prices at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium by six per cent and make changes to the senior concession season ticket prices which will see them eventually phased out for new applicants, with the discount reduced for existing holders.

Spurs said in their announcement: "Earlier this month, the club met with the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters' Trust to discuss the pricing models being considered. For the 2024/25 season, there will be an increase on match ticket prices to allow for inflation – £6 on a Category A ticket and £1 on Category B and C tickets."

The increase means that category A matches against Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Newcastle United will now cost between £71 for adults and £109. Senior concession tickets and junior ones in that category range from £35.50 to £44.50 with young adult from £53.50 to £67.

The category B games include Aston Villa, Brentford, Brighton & Hove Albion, Crystal Palace, Everton, Fulham, Nottingham Forest, West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers and will cost between £49 and £96 for adult tickets. Senior and junior concessions go from £24.50 to £32.50 and young adult from £24.50 to £32.50.

Category C takes in the remaining matches of Bournemouth, Ipswich Town, Leicester City and Southampton with adult prices from £38 to £81, with senior and junior tickets costing £19 to £27.50 and young adult £28.50 to £41.50.

The Tottenham Hotspur Supporters' Trust hit back at the club's assertion that they had consulted fully over the latest ticket price increases, claiming they had just one meeting a fortnight before the announcement.

"We are extremely disappointed with the club’s decision to increase match day tickets prices for the second consecutive year. This follows the club's announcement earlier this year that have seen season tickets increase by six per cent and of course the disgraceful changes to senior concession season tickets," read their statement.

"THST Official board members met with the club on June 4 and once again argued that during this cost-of-living crisis, ticket prices should not be increased. We asked the club to remove booking fees and to revert to five category A games, nine category B games and five category C games, rather than the 6-9-4 they have pushed ahead with.

"This is not structured dialogue or consultation and we have said as much to the club. We pushed for stretch pricing and were able to restrict the increases on category B and C games to £1, but we still believe the increase to category A games is indefensible and unnecessary.

"The cumulative effect of the increases is an overall increase higher than the rate of inflation. The club's Fan Advisory Board also expressed its opposition to the proposed increase and its disappointment at the club’s refusal to agree to revert to 5/9/5 split on match categorisation or to remove booking fees.

"A television deal worth £6.7billion is in place for four seasons from 2025/26 shining a light on the record levels of income being generated by Premier League clubs. We urge both the Premier League and the incoming independent regulator to take action and to put in place regulations to prevent clubs exploiting loyalty.

"THST Official will continue to work with Football Supporters' Association, fellow supporters’ trusts and politicians to push hard for such regulation. It has become increasingly apparent that such changes will not come from within most Premier League club boardrooms."

Listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham by clicking here! In depth Spurs chat on your preferred podcast platform.

Alan Hutton believes that Ivan Toney would take Tottenham to the next level if they signed the England striker this summer.

Spurs are looking for new attacking players to bolster Ange Postecoglou's squad for the busy coming Premier League season, which also brings with it the return of European football with the Europa League, as well as fixtures in the FA Cup and Carabao Cup for the Australian.

Since Harry Kane's departure last summer, Tottenham have been linked with a number of strikers, including Brentford's Toney, Bournemouth's Dominic Solanke and Feyenoord's Santiago Gimenez. Former Spurs right-back and Scotland international Hutton believes that England international Toney is the one for the job.

"I think if Spurs want to properly kick on next season and challenge for the top four, they need to get a striker. Ivan Toney would be my top choice. I know people have mentioned the likes of Dominic Solanke but I think Toney gives you that something different – it feels like he plays as if he’s bulletproof," Hutton told Best Online Poker Sites.

"Having lost Harry Kane, if they went and got Toney this summer, he’d be the one to take them to the next level. I think with regards to the rest of the positions, Ange Postecoglou should just be looking at strengthening the squad, a backup left back for example – although Destiny Udogie has been brilliant. There are just spots within the squad that need beefing out a little bit."

One Argentinean media outlet also claimed that Real Madrid are interested in signing Tottenham centre-back Cristian Romero, although the north London club have since distanced themselves any potential transfer.

"Losing Cristian Romero would be an absolute nightmare of a situation for Spurs. When he plays with Micky van de Ven, Romero seems a better player, and it works both ways. Those two have got such a great understanding between them," said Hutton.

"Romero can be a bit rash at times, and I did think he’d got that out of his game, but it does come out every so often. That said, I think when those two are fully fit they’re one of the best centre-back pairings in the Premier League, they won’t want to lose him. They’ll be absolutely desperate to keep him, he’s a World Cup winner and is still of an age which will see him get better."

Listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham by clicking here! In depth Spurs chat on your preferred podcast platform.

Gary Lineker has laid into England captain Harry Kane for his role in England's disappointing 1-1 draw with Denmark at Euro 2024.

The former Tottenham Hotspur striker got off the mark at the tournament in the match, putting Gareth Southgate's side into the lead in the opening stages with a calm finish after the ball broke kindly. However, the Three Lions ultimately slumped to a 1-1 draw with limited control of the match.

That last factor has left England supporters and pundits alike heavily frustrated for the second time in a few days, with the captain's latest display subject to a complete analysis from a man who previously occupied the same position in the team, Lineker.

"In all honesty? I think Harry Kane needs to do a lot better. I think his movement was minimal, he didn't look to go behind, and he doesn't often, but even when he comes short, he's just drifting short, very kind of lethargically, he's plodding short, and that's not going to help," he said at full-time on BBC Match of the Day's live coverage.

He added: "When you're a striker, your two jobs are: obviously score goals, which he's brilliant at, he has been all his career and he's wonderful at that sort of thing, but I think he needs his manager to say: 'Right, I need a little bit more from you Harry.' I would have expected that if I'd have had that kind of performance.

"As a striker, let me tell you, he's up against three at the back [vs Denmark], so he has got to stretch that team, even when he comes short, you've got to go that way [leans right] first to keep them up there, and then you come short. So when you get the ball coming short, you don't have to go 20 yards to get it short, like he ambles in, ambles in, and they just let him go so he doesn't get it.

"So he's not creating the space for himself for a start. Vice versa, he's never really been a player that spins that much behind but it's the same thing. If someone's in midfield and got the ball and you want it behind, you go that way [leans left] first and then you go behind. And then you stretch the team. If you've got someone going behind, you can stretch the team and that creates more space for the midfield players behind you."

The 63-year-old ended: "But in his defence, even when that happened on occasions, there wasn't enough of the midfield pushing up from behind. So it's a whole team thing."

Kane's latest examination comes after he managed only two touches in the entire first half against Serbia, leading former Three Lions defender Wes Brown to explain how the 30-year-old was looking for the ball in the wrong areas of the pitch.

Former England international Alan Shearer concurred with his fellow pundit, adding: "As I got older I needed pace in and around me. I could still score goals, head the ball, get into positions in the box, but one thing I could not do is run in behind. Harry Kane is the same now, he needs players that have the legs to run beyond and make the space."

England's result does keep them top of Group C as Slovenia and Serbia also shared the spoils in their meeting earlier in the day. However, failure to wrap up qualification for the Round of 16 a game ahead of schedule means Southgate and Co will have to fight to secure first place against the Slovenians on Tuesday.

Tottenham captain Son Heung-min has made a remarkable and heart-warming impact on 83-year-old Jeong Geum-sun, a South Korean lady suffering from dementia.

While Jeong has been dealing with the disease in recent years, and the associated problems it brings, one person she always instantly recognises is her country's captain and videos have gone viral across South Korean social media of the enthusiastic way she supports the national team, Spurs and Son in particular, often waving to him through the television screen during the games.

When asked which players she recognises it's always Son she mentions and when he was on international duty this year he sent her a video message saying that he would come and meet her, which Jeong was later shown watching while wearing her Spurs shirt, with Son's name and number seven on the back, one of a few she owns.

This week, the South Korean FA released a video on YouTube showing Jeong being brought to meet Son the day before South Korea's recent World Cup qualifying win against China.

In the video, on the link above, the moment she saw him she burst into a big smile and laughed and would not let his hand go, holding it tightly as he knelt down to speak to her, asking him why he looked so "skinny" and that he needed to eat.

He brought her a Korea shirt which he signed in front of her and he asked her to wear it the next day at the stadium to watch the game. Then Jeong asked him not to go and he promised he would stay a while longer.

"I am deeply grateful that you always support me. I was inspired and moved by the footage where you root for me," the Spurs captain told her. "I will do my best to run around on the field for you. Please root for me as always. I'll score another goal or two and do my best for you."

Jeong said after meeting him: "I wish I had spent more time with him. He looks amazing. I am only 83 years old. I will enjoy watching football games until I turn 100."

Listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham by clicking here! In depth Spurs chat on your preferred podcast platform.

No clubs have made a definitive move for Emerson Royal yet despite plenty of interest in the Tottenham right-back this summer, football.london understands.

The Brazilian right-back is expected to be one of Spurs' higher value departures in the coming months after starting just 11 Premier League matches last season with most of those spent filling in as either a centre-back or left-back when Ange Postecoglou's squad was flooded with injuries.

Emerson arrived at Tottenham in 2021 from Real Betis and has made 101 appearances since for the north London club since, scoring four goals and providing two assists. The 25-year-old is not seen as the most natural fit for Postecoglou's inverted right-back role and while the defender has relished his time at Spurs, it is understood that he simply wants to play regular football next season, whether that is at the club or elsewhere.

AC Milan have been strongly linked with a move for Emerson this summer with reports in Italy of negotiations taking place between the two clubs with a fee of £21million wanted by Spurs. However, football.london understands that any talks currently remain with the Brazilian's representatives and Tottenham are yet to engage in formal talks with Milan over the player.

At this stage Milan are believed to be showing the most interest with Emerson's camp while Brazilian side Flamengo have also been keen to bring Emerson back home and clubs in the Saudi Pro League have shown an interest in the Premier League full-back.

Spurs have been linked with another Brazilian in 22-year-old Monaco right-back Vanderson as a potential replacement for Emerson, while football.london have also previously reported that the north London outfit have a strong interest in Leeds' much-coveted 18-year-old midfielder Archie Gray, who played most of last season as a right-back for the Championship side.

Listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham by clicking here! In depth Spurs chat on your preferred podcast platform.

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou has already hinted at what to expect from the club in this summer's transfer window as the rumours, gossip and links to players continue to grow, with Euro 2024 a week old and Copa America about to start.

For Spurs it was a fine start to Postecoglou's first season, with the likes of Micky van de Ven and Guglielmo Vicario slotting perfectly into the team. But the side could not quite sustain the huge momentum they had built up in the opening months of the season, faltering and ultimately finishing fifth in the table, just two points shy of a Champions League place.

It was clear throughout those latter stages that a lack of strength in depth was hampering the team, with Van de Ven suffering a hamstring injury which forced Ben Davies into the centre of defence for a number of games. Radu Dragusin duly arrived in January, but played only a bit-part role until the end of the season, when Van de Ven himself was moved to left-back as Destiny Udogie, Davies and Ryan Sessegnon suffered injuries of their own.

With the summer come the transfer rumours, and Spurs are now being linked to a new centre-back to add further depth to the squad. The latest name is Italy and Bologna defender Riccardo Calafiori, who started in the 2-1 for the Azzurri over Albania.

DAZN in Italy report that Spurs have made contact with the 22-year-old's representatives and have also spoken to his club over a possible move. Rumours put a potential price tag as high as £42million. Spurs could face further complications as the centre-back has also been linked to Juventus.

But Postecoglou has already said this year that the club will be looking at centre-back as a potential area to sign a new player, despite Dragusin's arrival on a deal worth £21.5million plus a further £4million in add-ons.

"If you're saying 'is [centre-back] an area we can strengthen?', yes it’s an area we will probably look at," Postecoglou said in March. "With all these things it's about trying to strengthen the group as much as anything else. If you think about when I first arrived, we had maybe six or seven centre-backs at the club. So it's not just numbers. It's more about the ability of those players to play the football we want and to fit in to what we're trying to build here.

"I think it is an area of the park we will look to strengthen, but I think we’ll look to strengthen all areas of the park come the end of the season. That’s planning that’s already underway, and other people are in charge of it at the moment."

Listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham by clicking here! In depth Spurs chat on your preferred podcast platform.

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou has already hinted at what to expect from the club in this summer's transfer window as the rumours, gossip and links to players continue to grow, with Euro 2024 a week old and Copa America about to start.

For Spurs it was a fine start to Postecoglou's first season, with the likes of Micky van de Ven and Guglielmo Vicario slotting perfectly into the team. But the side could not quite sustain the huge momentum they had built up in the opening months of the season, faltering and ultimately finishing fifth in the table, just two points shy of a Champions League place.

It was clear throughout those latter stages that a lack of strength in depth was hampering the team, with Van de Ven suffering a hamstring injury which forced Ben Davies into the centre of defence for a number of games. Radu Dragusin duly arrived in January, but played only a bit-part role until the end of the season, when Van de Ven himself was moved to left-back as Destiny Udogie, Davies and Ryan Sessegnon suffered injuries of their own.

With the summer come the transfer rumours, and Spurs are now being linked to a new centre-back to add further depth to the squad. The latest name is Italy and Bologna defender Riccardo Calafiori, who started in the 2-1 for the Azzurri over Albania.

DAZN in Italy report that Spurs have made contact with the 22-year-old's representatives and have also spoken to his club over a possible move. Rumours put a potential price tag as high as £42million. Spurs could face further complications as the centre-back has also been linked to Juventus.

But Postecoglou has already said this year that the club will be looking at centre-back as a potential area to sign a new player, despite Dragusin's arrival on a deal worth £21.5million plus a further £4million in add-ons.

"If you're saying 'is [centre-back] an area we can strengthen?', yes it’s an area we will probably look at," Postecoglou said in March. "With all these things it's about trying to strengthen the group as much as anything else. If you think about when I first arrived, we had maybe six or seven centre-backs at the club. So it's not just numbers. It's more about the ability of those players to play the football we want and to fit in to what we're trying to build here.

"I think it is an area of the park we will look to strengthen, but I think we’ll look to strengthen all areas of the park come the end of the season. That’s planning that’s already underway, and other people are in charge of it at the moment."

Listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham by clicking here! In depth Spurs chat on your preferred podcast platform.

Son Heung-min says he has spoken with Rodrigo Bentancur and that the two Tottenham players are "past this, we're united" after the Uruguayan made an offensive comment during an interview about his captain and Korean people.

During the televised interview ahead of the Copa America, the Spurs midfielder had attempted to make a joke when a reporter asked for a shirt from one of his team-mates. The reporter asked: "Can you get me the shirt from the Korean?" to which Bentancur asked "Sonny?" and the journalist said "Or any other champion?".

Bentancur replied: "Or any cousin of Sonny, they all look more or less the same!" to which the reporter replied "Yes, of course!!"

The comment caused offence throughout the Korean community and outside of it, with people seeing it as a racist comment, and Kick It Out, the organisation which seeks to end racism and discrimination in sport, said on Wednesday: "Kick It Out has received a significant number of reports about Rodrigo Bentancur's comments regarding his Tottenham team-mate Son Heung-min. These reports have already been sent to the club and relevant authorities. We recognise Bentancur has acknowledged the offence caused, however it highlights a wider issue that heavily affects East Asian and wider communities. We’ll be seeking to address these broader issues in the coming season."

Bentancur had earlier in the week apologised to the Spurs captain in an Instagram story, saying: "Sony (sic) brother! I apologise to you for what happened, it was just a very bad joke! You know what I love you and I would never disrespect you or hurt you or anyone else! I love you brother!"

Now Son has responded with his own statement on the matter in an Instagram Story post on Thursday, saying: "I've spoken with Lolo. He made a mistake, he knows this and has apologised. Lolo would not mean to ever intentionally say something offensive. We are brothers and nothing has changed at all.

"We're past this, we're united, and we will be back together in pre season to fight for our club as one. Sonny."

Spurs also released a statement, saying: "Following a comment from Rodrigo Bentancur in an interview video clip and the player’s subsequent public apology, the club has been providing assistance in ensuring a positive outcome on the matter. This will include further education for all players in line with our diversity, equality and inclusion objectives.

"We fully support that our captain Sonny feels that he can draw a line under the incident and that the team can focus on the new season ahead. We are extremely proud of our diverse, global fanbase and playing squads. Discrimination of any kind has no place at our club, within our game or within wider society."

Listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham by clicking here! In depth Spurs chat on your preferred podcast platform.

There could be a big number of both incomings and outgoings at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer. Ange Postecoglou is planning a big overhaul of his squad with plenty of fringe stars expected to leave the club this summer.

That would make room for new players to come into the club, with a number of stars already being linked with a move to N17.

Postecoglou is looking to strengthen all areas of his team this summer, with defensive and midfield reinforcements required, as well as forward players. Timo Werner has already signed a new one-year loan deal from RB Leipzig, while January signing Lucas Bergvall will finally link up with his new teammates too.

One attacking player who has been linked with a move to Tottenham has been Crystal Palace star Ebere Eze. Eze is currently on international duty with England at Euro 2024 and therefore unlikely to be able to discuss talks over a potential move until the Three Lions' elimination from the tournament, which we all hope will not happen for some time.

Eze ended the season in superb form for Palace, enjoying a fine spell under new boss Oliver Glasner. The Eagles won six of their last seven Premier League matches, with Eze missing the only match they did not win in that stretch - a 1-1 draw with Fulham.

Eze scored five goals and provided two assists in those six games, showing his quality in attack. It is no surprise, therefore, that a number of teams, including Tottenham, are looking at him this summer.

However, any deal looks very difficult to get done, particularly given the timeline likely to be on it. football.london understands Crystal Palace are reluctant to sell either of their most sought-after forwards - Eze and Michael Olise - this summer. Both are in high demand and Spurs could be hit by what happens with Olise, with Palace highly unlikely to sign off on both leaving the club.

Olise turned down a move to Chelsea last summer, penning a new contract to stay at Selhurst Park, but once again the Blues are back in to sign him this time around. And they could tie up a deal for Olise before Spurs even get a chance to discuss Eze.

Palace have put £60million price tags on both Eze and Olise and with Olise not on international duty this summer, Chelsea can get a deal done quicker than Spurs may be able to do for Eze.

football.london understands the Blues are set to open talks with Olise's representatives in the coming days after being granted permission by Palace. If they do get a deal over the line quickly, things will become that much harder for Spurs when it comes to Eze with Palace not wanting to lose both star players this summer.

Listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham by clicking here! In depth Spurs chat on your preferred podcast platform.