Tottenham Hotspur

We confirmed the arrival of the highly decorated Scotland captain this afternoon, and the defender will join us on 1 July, following the expiration of his contract at Liverpool.

Michael joined us from Forest in 2005 before his move to Hull City in 2014. He was joined that summer by a young Scottish full-back by the name of Andy Robertson, who had impressed at Queen’s Park and then Dundee United.

Robertson became of the of the best left-backs around in three seasons at Hull and Daws was with him every step of the way – relegation from the Premier League in 2014/15, promotion straight back in 2015/16, where Andy played 52 games in all competitions and then relegation again in 2016/17. He joined Liverpool in the summer of 2017 – the rest is history...

Michael - what did you see in Andy Robertson when he walked through the door at Hull at the age of 20 at the start of the 2014/15 season?

Daws: “I'll tell you what I saw, I saw a great character, a great young man, a lad that was leaving Scotland for a new challenge in the Premier League. I saw a lad who was willing to learn from experienced players like myself, Curtis Davies, Tom Huddlestone, Robert Snodgrass and Alan McGregor, lads who took him under their wing, and I’ve probably missed a few players along the way as well, and he just took everything we said on board. He always wanted to learn, always wanted to improve and respected the fact the older lads who had been there were there to help him. Robbo had to learn quickly and I’m sure he won’t mind me saying that. He’d come from Queen’s Park and Dundee United, now he’s in the Premier League. We were in the ‘big league’ as Steve Bruce used to say, but he just bought into everything. He had a lot of lads who'd been around and everyone just took to him straight away, he was a real character at a young age. Robbo and Harry Maguire… to see what those two players have gone on to achieve is quite remarkable.”

Daws: “Now, I'd say he’s the finished article. We had two seasons in the Premier League together and a Championship campaign where we had a great group of players, got promoted, we all learnt and he had all these challenges to overcome. Then, when you go to a club of Liverpool’s stature, the pressure, the expectation… what he's given to Liverpool Football Club in the time he's been there and what he's won, the goals and assists, the way Jurgen Klopp got him and Trent Alexander-Arnold playing, was just quite remarkable. I saw him when we played at Anfield towards the end of last season. It was the first time I'd seen Robbo for a long time. It was great to catch up. He hasn't changed and now it's an honour to welcome him to this football club and it'll be amazing. He'll bring all his experience, all the leadership that he's learnt along the way from players like Jordan Henderson, Virgil van Dijk, James Milner, Mo Salah, the list goes on. I've always loved watching him throughout his career and I'll certainly enjoy watching him play in this famous shirt that I wore for nine and a half years and was always proud to wear.”

In the ‘Making of a Lilywhite’ series, we sat down with Ruby to talk about her footballing journey so far and get to know her a bit better…

Beginning of her journey…

“When I was younger, around seven years old, my best friend's family were very much a football family and I was very close to them. So, one day, me and my best friend were just playing it in the garden and, ever since then, I've just played it all the time. We both went on to join Buckhurst Hill, one of my local teams, and then her dad became the manager, so I played there until I was 14 years old before my move to Spurs came about.

“I went to this football camp and there was this scout for the Club that said that ‘I was quite good’ and he knew Jenna [Schillaci] so then I went to a Spurs trial as well for the Under-14s age group – and I have been here ever since.”

The start of her time at Spurs…

“I joined at Under-14s level and I was in the same team as Jhanaie [Pierre] and Grace [Breen] who I’m with in the Under-19s set-up now. It was all quite smooth sailing in my first season, then I went on to play Under-15s, then the Under-16s where I got my opportunity with the Under-21s quite early in. It was a Final against Brighton & Hove Albion and that was when I made my first appearance for the Under-21s – now known as the Under-19s.

“I played the rest of the season with that age group, stepping up an age group higher most of the time before getting my offer for the Under-19s. Unfortunately, I got injured quite early on and had about 10 months out. I managed to come back in December, 2024 for my first game, played a few matches, around a month or so, and then got injured again. But, ever since then, I've been back, I'm better and I have enjoyed the last few weeks.”

“I feel a lot more comfortable around the environment and having people that you’ve had from the beginning of your journey, seeing how they've grown and seeing how you've grown as well, it's been really nice and being able to play week in, week out with them is really fun and exciting.”

A full circle moment at the Club…

“Myself, Mia [Endacott], Jhanaie and Sophie [Jackson] were in the squad for the first team against Arsenal in pre-season in August, which was brilliant. It’s quite interesting because I remember when I was younger, I went to Borehamwood to watch a game, it was Spurs v Arsenal and I got a photo there. So, then being involved in that fixture many years later was a full circle moment and it was quite good motivation to see what you want, how to achieve it with the first team, helping you become who you want to be.

“Even being around the first team in pre-season, it shows you the level, Martin [Ho] was very open and honest about what he wants out of players and kind of gave me that stepping stone you want to be in the first team.

“I’m quite a calming presence on the pitch and I always try to get on the ball, keep possession ticking over with different style of passes – long or short – and try to make as much of an influence on the match as possible.”

A leader on and off the field, the highly decorated Scotland captain will join the Club on 1 July following the expiration of his contract at Liverpool.

Sporting Director, Johan Lange, said: "We are delighted to welcome Andy to the club.

"First and foremost, he is an outstanding left-back - one of the best of all time in the Premier League, and someone who will improve our squad.

"In addition, his quality, character and leadership have been evident throughout a career in which he has regularly competed for - and won - major honours.

"Andy's professionalism and commitment will also be invaluable to the development of our squad, and he shares our ambition and determination to bring success back to the Club.

"We are excited for Andy's new chapter with us and look forward to having him here after the World Cup."

Head Coach, Roberto De Zerbi, said: "Andy is someone I've admired for a number of years and he will bring outstanding technical qualities, experience, leadership and mentality to our team.

"He is a proven winner at the highest level over a long period and is someone who can be a big player for us, both on and off the pitch.

"I can't wait to start working with him and seeing the positive impact he will have on everyone around him."

Vastly experienced with multiple winners’ medals to his name, Andy joins us following a remarkable nine years at Anfield.

Having made his first steps in senior football in 2012 with then amateur Glasgow side Queen’s Park, he has enjoyed an incredible rise to the top of English, European and international football in the years that have followed.

An intelligent player who plays with personality and heart, he has tasted success wherever he has been. From reaching the Scottish Cup final with Dundee United and being named the PFA Scotland’s Young Player of the Year in his first professional campaign to earning promotion to the Premier League at his next club Hull City in 2016, the left-back has continually prospered.

The following year, he made the move to Liverpool and success followed in abundance with the Scot scooping up every major honour on offer.

Reaching three UEFA Champions League finals with victory coming in the 2018/19 showpiece, the now 32-year-old also helped the Reds to the Premier League title, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup the following campaign before securing the FA Cup, League Cup and Community Shield in 2022. He then added a further Premier League winners’ medal to his collection in 2025.

An influential player in the dressing room, Andy grew into a leadership role during his time on Merseyside and was appointed vice-captain for the Reds ahead of his final season at Anfield.

Already captain of his country, wearing the armband for Scotland since September, 2018, the Glaswegian led his nation to the 2020 and 2024 UEFA European Championships before he skippered them to this summer’s World Cup – Scotland’s first appearance at the tournament this century.

Welcome, Andy!

Starting with Pedro, our Spanish full-back started once again for his country as they started their World Cup preparations with a 1-1 draw with Iraq in A Coruna.

The defender played the first 73 minutes of the game to collect his 17th cap.

In Sweden, Lucas Bergvall came off the bench with 27 minutes left to play as his nation drew 2-2 with Greece to round off their World Cup preparations.

The game marked Lucas' 10th cap for Sweden. Next up for the Swede is his country's World Cup opener with Tunisia on Monday 15 June.

Finally, Jamie Donley picked up his ninth cap for Northern Ireland as they enjoyed a 1-0 win over Guinea.

Facing the African nation in the south of Spain, Jamie made his fourth consecutive start for his country and played 64 minutes before being substituted.

The player who delivered one of our most memorable moments in the Premier League at Upton Park almost 20 years ago enjoyed a stellar career taking in 13 years in Germany and England at Werder Bremen, Spurs, Fulham and Borussia Mönchengladbach.

At the same time, he earned 84 caps for Canada between 1997-2010, won the prestigious CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2000 and was inducted into the Canada Soccer Hall of Fame in 2017.

However, he never made it to a World Cup.

Now, 13 years after retiring, Paul is finally getting set for the biggest stage of all – the 2026 FIFA World Cup – where not only is he Canada’s assistant manager going into the tournament, but at a World Cup being co-hosted by his country.

What must that be like?

Speaking to us earlier this week, ahead of Canada’s pre-World Cup warm up win against Uzbekistan in Edmonton, there appeared very little time for Paul to take it all in.

“You know what, even when I played, those thoughts never really entered my head,” he said. “You're playing at a huge club in Germany, fortunate enough to sign with Tottenham, a massive club in England, playing in the Premier League and so forth. Even at that time, I kind of don't even think of it in that moment.

“Of course, later on, when people ask the questions and you reflect on stuff, it's special. It's a special time. There's no doubt that I have a lot of appreciation and gratitude for the chances I've had, both as a player and now as a coach.

“This will be something special and something we'll probably reflect on a little bit more when things are done. But you just live in the moment, you live day to day, and you prepare yourself. In the back of your mind, it'll be a special event. Having it in Canada, having the first game in Toronto, where I grew up, is something extra special as well.”

So, our main question…

What’s it like to help prepare a team to compete at the World Cup?

“It’s way different than as a player!” he said. “As a player, you go in and you're done. On the other side, it's early mornings, late evenings, a lot of preparation and a lot of attention to every single detail. That’s preparing for anything and everything that could possibly happen from now to the games, dealing with players that might be coming off of injuries, all that kind of stuff.

“Also, preparing every little detail on the opponent and how they play and what they do. Then, how we want to play and what we want to do, making sure that we're picking the right squad - just trying to pick the 26 guys that are going to play in the tournament is really tough. That's a hard thing to do. There's a lot of detail, a lot of thought and a lot of process that goes into that – and not just in the last couple of weeks, that's been in the last six months to a year of preparing this team.

“So, a lot of preparation, a lot of meetings, a lot of things going on in the background. Also, you're preparing every day for training, you're preparing videos, you're preparing all the stuff for the team to understand what the opponent is going to be like and what we want every day, leading up until that first game - busy days, but amazing.

“It's been amazing, and working with Jesse (Marsch, manager) has been awesome. He's great to have around. I think he's a great guy to have leading this group of young men right now. It's been a great experience and I’m really looking forward to the next stretch leading up until the first game (Canada face Bosnia and Herzegovina in Group B on 12 June). It's exciting. It's in Toronto, my home city. That will be something extra special as well.”

Co-hosted by USA and Canada, this will be the 23rd World Cup, the inaugural tournament back in 1930.

As we build up to the summer’s football fest, we take a look at the Spurs players to feature on the greatest stage of all…

Erik Thorstvedt

The Norwegian national team was in the middle of a golden era when they qualified for the 1994 World Cup Finals in the USA, with a squad which included a number of English-based players including our goalkeeper, Erik Thorstvedt.

Norway had taken part in the 1938 tournament in France, but then spent a long period in the international wilderness. However, the appointment of Egil Olsen as manager in 1982, plus the emergence of a number of their star players in the top leagues across Europe, sparked an incredible revival.

They qualified for the 1994 tournament as group leaders, ahead of Netherlands - who also progressed – and England, who didn’t. In fact, Norway held Graham Taylor’s England at Wembley before beating them 2-0 in Oslo.

Thorstvedt – dubbed ‘Erik the Viking’ by fans and media alike during his time at the Lane – had just finished his sixth season as a Spur when the tournament came around.

Norway were paired in a tough group alongside Italy, Republic of Ireland and Mexico, but with a squad which contained the likes of Thorstvedt, Gunnar Halle, Stig Bjornebye, Alf Inge Haaland, Henning Berg, Lars Bohinen and future Spur, Oyvind Leonhardsen, they were confident of progressing.

Erik took his place as number one as they made the dream start by defeating Mexico 1-0 thanks to Kjetil Rekdal’s 84th-minute winner, but lost out to Italy in their second game.

Going into the final round of matches, all four teams in the group had three points each. Norway knew a win against Republic of Ireland would see them through but only managed a goalless draw in New York.

Incredibly, Italy’s game against Mexico also ended in a draw, but despite every team in the group finishing with four points, Norway’s lack of goals – just one scored – meant they ended bottom of the group and exited the competition. Thorstvedt conceded just one goal in three games, but it wasn’t enough.

Signed from Swedish side IFK Göteborg, IFK, Erik made 218 appearances for us between 1989 and 1996, winning the FA Cup in 1991. We were his last club – he retired in 1996. He earned 97 caps for Norway, 1982-96.

Lining up at left-back for his 20th cap, the Oranje were on top in the first half with Tijjani Reijnders having a goal ruled out for offside and Donyell Malen and Cody Gakpo both going close although Micky was called upon at the other end to snuff out a chance with a typical recovery sliding challenge.

Our defender was replaced at the break after a goalless first half amongst a handful of changes by Ronald Koeman as the visitors went on to snatch victory late on with a stunning curler from Anis Hadj Moussa four minutes from time.

The defeat at Feyenoord's De Kuip stadium ended a 10-game unbeaten run for the Dutch who now travel to the United States to first take on Uzbekistan in a final warm-up friendly in New York before their Group F opener against Japan on Sunday 14 June in Texas.

Cristian Romero and holders Argentina would have kept a close eye on this one with Algeria their first opponent in Group J at the finals in United States, Canada and Mexico.

Elsewhere, Manor Solomon, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Serie A side Fiorentina, started and completed 88 minutes on his 49th cap as Israel beat Albania 1-0 in a friendly in Tirana.

In youth internationals, Albania's Armend Muslika bagged a brace in a 2-2 home draw with Latvia in a European Under-17 Championship qualifier, George Feeney featured off the bench for Northern Ireland Under-21s in their 4-0 away friendly defeat to Portugal and Yang Min-Hyeok's South Korea Under-23s drew 1-1 in a friendly with United Arab Emirates in Thailand.

Thursday's action

Across our 144-year history, we have scored thousands of stunning goals but, from the ones you have borne witness to, what strike stands out amongst the rest?

Were you there at Wembley to see Paul Gascoigne’s free-kick against Arsenal in 1991, or were you at the Lane for Glenn Hoddle’s remarkable final goal in Lilywhite against Oxford United in 1987? Or were you there to see the recent glory, glory moments like Brennan Johnson’s winner in Bilbao last year or Jonathan Woodgate’s extra-time header against Chelsea in 2008?

It could even be from this season’s collection of exceptional finishes that included Micky van de Ven’s mazy run against FC Copenhagen and Richarlison’s overhead kick in the season opener against Burnley.

Perhaps you were even in Singapore in 2019 to see Harry Kane score from the halfway line against Juventus or in Hong Kong last summer to see Pape Matar Sarr also strike from the halfway line, this time against Arsenal.

Rack your brains and let us know your favourite in the comments below…

Our Academy player has been included Nia Davies’ squad for the first time ahead of their training camp followed by a friendly with Denmark on Saturday (6 June).

Her first international call-up comes off the back of an impressive few days at World Sevens Football London, which saw Heidi, alongside seven other Academy player, involved in the senior tournament with the youngster earning valuable experience against Women’s Super League players.

A second year for our Under-19s, having joined from Reading’s Academy in the summer of 2024, the youngster enjoyed an excellent campaign with our Professional Game Academy League side, scoring 11 goals and registering four assists in 30 appearances in all competitions.

Congratulations, Heidi!

The centre-back lined up in the middle of a back three alongside Josko Gvardiol and Josip Sutalo - former Spurs Luka Modric, now 40, and Ivan Perisic also started for Croatia at the Rujevica Stadium in Rijeka.

Vuskovic, who earned rave reviews on loan at Hamburg in the Bundesliga last season, where he contributed six goals in 30 appearances, could do little about Belgium’s opener on 38 minutes, as Jeremy Doku's cross was deflected by Sutalo into the path of Youri Tielemans, who fired low into the corner despite Vuskovic’s efforts to block.

Modric went close and both teams struck the crossbar before Romelu Lukaku sealed it for Belgium with a fine one-on-one finish from a breakaway in the 96th minute.

Elsewhere, Radu Dragusin, who returned from an ACL to feature 11 times for us in the second half of last season, started and completed 90 minutes as Romania drew 1-1 against Georgia in a friendly in Tbilisi.

Wednesday's action