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A former Tottenham Hotspur youth player has denied a strange rumour about why he left North London.

Des Walker was on the books with Tottenham as a teenager before making the move to Nottingham Forest as a 15-year-old, making his first-team debut at 18 for the great Brian Clough towards the end of his managerial career.

Even though it was over 40 years ago that he left Spurs, however, Walker is keen to put to bed the rumour of why he left.

“Was it because I had long hair? No: we can definitely debunk that one!”

Wikipedia has a reputation for its occasional dubious reliability – and Walker's own page has a “citation needed” note in the section detailing his early life.

“Walker was spotted playing locally in London and was signed by Forest in 1980 as an apprentice,” the entry reads, adding, “He had previously been part of the youth system at Tottenham Hotspur, but was released after a disagreement where he refused to get a haircut.”

FourFourTwo can now confirm via the man himself that this is not true.

After all these years, somebody [came] up with a justification for why it happened,” Walker tells us now, courtesy of Power Up Gaming.

“I saw that story on Wikipedia. Somebody has come up with a reason for why they let me go, and apparently that’s the best they could come up with.

“Remember, I left in 1982. Around 1981, just about everyone had long hair! So why would they have kicked me out because I had long hair? Look at Chris Waddle.”

It turned out to be for the best: Walker went on to appear 346 times for the Tricky Trees before ending his career back at the City Ground (between a spell in Italian football, notably).

So why was he released?

“They deemed that I wasn’t good enough,” Walker says. “That’s it. I went on and had my career, and now it’s up to them to decide whether they got that decision right or wrong.

“But the idea that it was because I had long hair? No, no, no. We can definitely debunk that one.”

Tottenham Hotspur supporters' groups have urged the club not to hire manager Roberto De Zerbi, claiming it is against the club’s commitments to “respect, safety and inclusion”.

Spurs are reportedly in advanced negotiations with the Italian manager following the departure of Igor Tudor, as they try desperately to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

Previously, De Zerbi had wanted to wait until the summer before assessing his options, but now it seems increasingly likely that he could take over at Spurs immediately, to try and steer the club to safety.

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De Zerbi described Mason Greenwood as a 'good guy' in November

However, at least three fan groups have urged Tottenham to look elsewhere and bring in another candidate, due to De Zerbi’s relationship with former Manchester United player Mason Greenwood.

In October 2022, Greenwood was charged with one count of attempted rape, one count of controlling and coercive behaviour and one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Those charges were later dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service due to a “withdrawal of key witnesses” and the emergence of new evidence.

After a loan move from Manchester United to Getafe, Greenwood eventually joined Marseille on a five-year deal, where he played for De Zerbi until the manager left by mutual consent in February this year.

Last November, De Zerbi described Greenwood as a "good guy" who had paid a "heavy price" adding: “It saddens me what happened in his life, because I know a totally different person than the one who was described.”

In light of this, fan groups Proud Lilywhites, Women of the Lane and Spurs Reach have all stated opposition to his potential appointment.

Women of the Lane released a statement via their social media accounts, saying it was “difficult to reconcile” having the Italian in charge of their team.

They wrote: “There is growing speculation linking Spurs with Roberto De Zerbi. We want to be clear about how this is landing with many women and allies in our community.

“For many in our community, this is difficult to reconcile with the club's stated commitments to respect, safety and inclusion.

“This is not an appointment Tottenham Hotspur should make. It introduces unnecessary cultural risk without a clear, proven track record to justify it.

“Clubs signal their values through the decisions they make. Who they appoint matters. The manager sets the tone, every day, for what is expected, what is tolerated, and how people are treated.

“At a time when Spurs needs to rebuild, that culture matters as much as anything on the pitch.

“De Zerbi has publicly defended Mason Greenwood in a way that downplays the seriousness of male violence against women and girls. That raises serious questions about judgement and leadership.”

Meanwhile, LGBTQI+ fan group Proud Lilywhites told the Independent: “We’ve seen the reports linking Roberto De Zerbi with the Tottenham job and honestly, it doesn’t sit right.

“As Proud Lilywhites, we care deeply about this club, not just what happens on the pitch, but what Tottenham stands for off it. This isn’t just about results or style of football. It’s about values, identity, and the kind of people we choose to represent us.”

Spurs Reach added in a statement of their own: “We all want the club to progress, but it must do so in a way that reflects its values. No to De Zerbi.”