Tottenham Hotspur

Shekiera Martinez: 10 facts about our newest arrival

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Shekiera Martinez: 10 facts about our newest arrival - Tottenham Hotspur
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The Germany international will join upon the opening of the summer transfer window from West Ham United and has signed a long-term contract with the Club.

Learning her trade in her homeland with Frankfurt and SC Freiburg, the forward has taken the Women’s Super League by storm since making her debut in January, 2025, scoring 16 goals in 32 appearances.

Now she embarks on a new chapter in her footballing career as she makes the move to north London.

Get to know our newest arrival below with 10 interesting facts about her...

WSL Accolades

Shekiera might have only been in England for 18 months, but she has certainly made her mark.

Although she joined West Ham United in August, 2024, the forward spent the first half of the 2024/25 campaign at German side SC Freiburg before returning to the England in January, 2025.

After that, there was no stopping her. Just nine minutes into her first start, she opened her account in the WSL with a goal against Everton. She then followed that up with a brace away at Chelsea before netting four in a thumping 7-1 win at Crystal Palace, ending the season with 10 goals in 12 league games.

Her relentless first few months in the competition saw her claim the league’s Player of the Month awards in both March and April – the first West Ham player to do so – and was named the WSL Rising Star for 2024/25.

Sweet 16

Following spells at SV Glaserzell and FV Hores in her youth career, Shekiera joined Eintracht at the age of 16.

Having spent time with their Under-17s squad in her first year, she then stepped up to the senior squad for 2017/18 campaign, featuring regularly for their reserve side in the 2. Bundesliga in the first half of that season.

Then, at just 17 years old, she made her Bundesliga debut in February, 2018, coming on as a second-half substitute in a 3-0 win over FC Koln.

Frankfurt Centurion

Since joining the Hesse-based side in 2016, the 24-year-old spent a remarkable eight seasons on the Main.

Helping them end a six-year absence from the UEFA Women’s Champions League in 2022, Shekiera went on to surpass 100 appearances for the German team.

Before departing the club in the summer of 2024, she had made 135 appearances in total, scoring 32 goals.

Fulfilling a promise

At the age of eight, Shekiera told her family that she wanted to play football.

Growing up in Floura, Germany, she was one of four girls and a boy in her family – in which, by then, one of her older sisters had given up persuading the opportunity in the game.

Speaking in an interview with The Guardian back in August, 2025, she revealed that her mum told her: “‘No, you won’t play for long. You’ll be like your sister,’” she recalls. “And so then I gave her a promise that I would play for longer than my sister.”

Nearly 16 years later, her journey in the game continues at pace.

She loves her dogs!

Away from the pitch, Shekiera has two dogs at home that she loves very much!

Both are puppies, Ruby is 10 months old and Ivy is one-and-a-half years old.

Playing on the biggest stage

When asked for one of her standout moments in her career to date, she replied with playing in the UEFA Women’s Champions League.

Shekiera competed in Europe’s elite competition while at Eintracht, making her debut in the tournament in September, 2022, in a qualifying match against Fortuna Hjorring.

Having helped her side to progress to the group phase in the following term, she netted her first goal in the competition in a 5-0 win over FC Rosengard – who fielded current Spur, Olivia Holdt - in January, 2024, while she also registered two assists.

Slam dunk

While taking the WSL by storm on the pitch, Shekiera also plays a number of other sports in her downtime.

Having played tennis a couple of times before and enjoying it, she has recently brought some rackets to continue having a go and have it as a hobby.

Alongside tennis, she also really likes playing basketball.

Into the history books

Representing Germany at the UEFA Women’s Under-17 European Championships, Shekiera wrote her name into the UEFA’s record books.

Scoring an impressive nine goals in the tournament to help her nation finish as runner ups, she equalled a record number of goals scored in a UEFA football final tournament – jointly held by Michel Platini at Euro 84 and Elena Danilova at 2005 Women’s Under-19 Euro.

Having netted six in the group stage, only one off the record for any UEFA final tournament, she then scored a hat-trick in the semi-final against England to take her tally to nine.

Favourite meal

Shekiera revealed that her favourite meal is a lasagne!

But not any lasagne, specifically the one that her girlfriend makes as ‘she knows how to make it the best’.

A proud moment on the international stage

Having progressed through the youth set-up with Germany, representing from the age groups of Under-15 to Under-19, she received her maiden call-up to the senior squad in October, 2025.

Her debut came the following month as she was a second-half substitute for Germany in the first leg of the UEFA Women’s Nations League Final as they faced Spain.

A proud moment for Shekiera and her family.

Gallery: Team trains for Toffees test

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Gallery: Team trains for Toffees test - Tottenham Hotspur
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Our season all comes down to this weekend's visit of the Toffees and our objective it clear - to claim a positive result.

And the team have been working all week at our Enfield training base with all eyes on just that as they continue to put in the hard yards under Roberto De Zerbi.

Check out the latest photos from training in our gallery below...

Predict the score | Spurs vs Everton

Shekiera Martinez: The story so far

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Shekiera Martinez: The story so far - Tottenham Hotspur
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After two years with West Ham United, the forward will make the switch to north London upon the opening of the summer transfer window following the announcement of her permanent move on Friday.

Only 24 years old, the Germany international has racked up an impressive 178 appearances during spells in Germany and England, scoring 64 goals, and has recently earned her first senior call-up to the Germany national squad.

A player very familiar to supporters in the WSL after her impressive run of form in the competition, scoring 10 goals in 12 appearances in her first four months, we look at her journey to becoming a Lilywhite…

Growing up in Germany

Born in Fulda, a city that sits on the river Fulda in Hesse, Germany, Shekiera was one of four girls and a boy in her family and having watched her older sister to play football, she told her parents at the age of eight that she wanted to start playing football.

Beginning her footballing journey with SV Glaserzell, she then joined FV Horas before making her move to Eintracht Frankfurt in 2016 as a 16-year-old.

Featuring regularly for their Under-17 side in her first season, she went on to spend the first half of the 2017/18 campaign with their reserves side before stepping up to the senior squad in the closing stages of the season, making four appearances in total.

Representing Germany at FIFA Women’s World Cup Under-17 Finals in the summer of 2018, she featured in all five of her nation’s games in the competition and wrote her name into a UEFA Finals record book.

Scoring an impressive nine goals in total, Shekiera equalled the record number of goals in a UEFA Final tournament jointly held by Michel Platini at Euro 84 and Elena Danilova at 2005 Women’s Under-19 Euro.

Finding the back of the net six times in the group stage before scoring a hat-trick in the semi-final win over England, she was unable to add to her tally in the final as Germany were defeated 2-0 by Spain.

Stamping her mark in the Bundesliga

With her maiden campaign in Germany’s top flight under her belt, the energetic forward then scored her maiden goal in a 3-3 draw with Potsdam in February, 2019, and stole the headlines in April, where she netted her first senior hat-trick in a thumping 9-0 win over Borussia Monchengladbach.

Shekiera would then represent Germany at another international youth competition in the summer, this time at the UEFA Women’s Under-19 European Championships, where she made four appearances in the tournament, scoring once in the semi-final win over the Netherlands, before losing in the showpiece event to France.

Still only 19 years old, she continued to be a regular member of the Eintracht squad in the Bundesliga. She made 20 appearances in the 2019/20 campaign, scoring five times, and a further 13 games the next term, netting two goals – but most of these coming off the substitutes bench.

However, that changed in 2021/22, when Shekiera started in 12 of her 20 appearances in the German top flight, scoring five goals and registering four assists, to help her side finish third in table and secure qualification to the UEFA Women’s Champions League for the first time since 2016.

Champions League exposure

Shekiera made her debut in the prestigious competition in their qualifying round win over Fortuna Hjorring to progress to the next qualification stage, but Eintracht suffered defeat to Ajax – which goalkeeper Lize Kop started in – and saw their journey come to an end.

However, they didn’t have to wait long to compete in the competition again, as another third-place finish ensured Eintracht secured their spot in the European competition once again.

Having overcome Slovacko, Juventus and Sparta Prague in the qualifying rounds this time, in which Shekiera featured in three of the four games, Frankfurt reached the group stage phase for the first time in seven years.

She netted her first goal in the UEFA Women’s Champions League in a 5-0 win over Rosengard in January, 2024, as they finished third in their group and were unable to progress any further.

After eight seasons with Eintracht, where she made over a century of appearances, she made the switch to England to join West Ham United but immediately joined German side SC Freiburg on loan for the first half of the 2024/25 campaign, scoring five goals in 11 league matches.

Women’s Super League bound

Having accumulated the necessary points to meet the Governing Body Endorsement (GBE) criteria for international players visas, she returned to England in January, 2025, and made an immediate impact for the Hammers.

Opening her WSL account on her first start against Everton, she then scored a brace away at Chelsea and won back-to-back Player of the Month awards in March and April – where she scored four goals in a 7-1 win over Crystal Palace – to become the first West Ham player to win the accolade.

Ending the campaign with 10 goals in 12 league appearances, a goal every 89 minutes, to finish as the joint-second in the goalscoring charts, she was named the WSL’s 2024/25 Rising Star.

In her first full season in England last term, Shekiera opened her account in the Subway Women’s League group phase against Charlton Athletic in September, 2025 and featured in 26 matches in all competitions, finding the back of the net on 10 occasions, where she also won the league’s Goal of the Month award for a stunning bicycle-kick at Manchester United in December.

Her impressive form in England’s top tier earned a first senior international call-up for Germany in October and, a month later, she made her debut in the UEFA Women’s Nations League final against Spain. Shekiera has since earned a further three caps for her nation to date.

Spurs vs Everton | Every word of Roberto De Zerbi’s pre-match press conference

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Spurs vs Everton | Every word of Roberto De Zerbi’s pre-match press conference - Tottenham Hotspur
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Here’s what he had to say…

Can we start with team news? Who is available? Who's not? Particularly the likes of Solanke - any chance? Maddison - how many minutes you might expect to get out of him?

Roberto: “Solanke is available for tomorrow. We have to decide if he starts in the first 11 or not, and Maddison is available. It's always tough on the side before the game, how many minutes he can play. Of course, he's a different player, he's a top player for us, but we have to analyse the physical condition, the Italian weather, and the Italian weather, and a lot of things, but both are available.”

How much of this game on Sunday is going to be about handling the pressure?

Roberto: “In football, there are different games. There are these type of games, like a final. For us, for West Ham, it will be two finals, and we have to adapt and we have to change the habits. I think it's a great thing to have the chance to play as a player. If I think as a player, for me, these types of games are good to play, to prepare, to suffer the pressure. The pressure is good. It depends if you are able to think, to stay strong with you, first of all, to stay positive. I think you can become, as I said after the Chelsea game, you can become better as a coach, as a player, as a man, because you can become better going through the tough moments. If everything is good in life, you can improve, but not in this way.”

Some people are surprised, some people are very angry that your captain won't be at the game. I wonder what you made of that decision and whether you had a conversation with him and said, ‘listen, you are the captain of this club, we need everything on Sunday’...

Roberto: “No, he spoke with the medical staff, together they decided to go to Argentina to complete the rehab with the Argentina medical staff. We spoke last week. With me, he showed always that he wanted to stay with us. The injury is already an injury and we have to accept. I'm not stupid. I want to be clear. I'm not stupid. If I understand there is any player or some player who thinks for himself before the club, I can't be the same Roberto, but with Cuti Romero, I can't say nothing because with me, in my time, he has been correct at the beginning until now.”

Can you understand why people are angry until now because Sunday is the biggest game this club has had and your captain is not going to be there - are you disappointed?

Roberto: “I'll answer you. The decision was with the medical staff, and I think he can't change nothing if Romero tomorrow is on the stadium or not. Finally, I have no time to lose energy, to lose thinking other things. We have to be focused just on the game, and I think we have the players good enough to achieve our target.”

Some reports this week have said that Djed Spence has a broken jaw following that challenge with Liam Delap on Tuesday. How is he doing?

Roberto: “He’s available. I think it was another situation bad for us because I think it was a red card for Delap but I have to repeat, I have no time and energy to lose thinking about referees or other things, red card, yellow card and we move on thinking just on the game.”

He's received really good news today that he will be part of the England squad for the World Cup. Thomas Tuchel spoke a lot about how Djed has suffered with the situation at Spurs with all of the different managers coming in this season but I just wondered from your point of view, why haven't we seen more of Djed in your team?

Roberto: “He's a great guy. I love Djed as a guy. After the game, I spoke with his mum outside of the stadium, his family and I said the same. He has a big heart, he's a big player and big guy and all of us we are happy he can go to play in the World Cup.”

Sunday is a final for Spurs, it's a big game for West Ham as well. I just wondered what will your approach be for this game?

Roberto: “We can't change our style, our mentality. We have to play with order, with the right behaviour with the ball, but we can't change ourselves because if we change ourselves or what we have done in my time, because I can't speak before I came here. Normally, we have to be focused on the counter attack, because we are very good in this part of football. We have to be focused on their qualities because they have very good players, especially the winger and the striker, but I think also we have the qualities and the players good enough to play a good game and to stay up.”

I just wonder if you think it shows commitment from Romero if it was his decision to stay in Argentina or to come back and give moral support to his teammates because he is the leader of this football club?

Roberto: “Not all leaders are the same. Ben Davies spoke with me and he asked to stay today to work with us and tomorrow we sleep in the hotel and he wants to stay with the team, the team-mates, but Romero is preparing for the World Cup, his injury and for me, nothing changed and then we go to think after tomorrow, we go to think everything is for the best future of Tottenham.”

On Sunday, how much do you need to ignore what's going on at West Ham or do you want to know what's going on at West Ham?

Roberto: “No, I want to stay focused on ourselves, on our performance, on what we can do on the pitch because it's in your hands.”

Is this your biggest game as a manager?

Roberto: “Listen, I've lived the last 50 days just for Tottenham and for my players. I burn nervous and for me nothing changes if we play a great game or not. I usually live football giving all myself. I'm looking forward to playing tomorrow the game. For me it's tough to arrive, but not the game, because if you are good with yourself, if you think you have done everything you can, you have to stay calm and stay positive. You can win, you can lose, but I usually think what I can give more for my players. What I have to give in these last two days to help my players to show all their qualities. What I can do to help them to play following their qualities, but not for the game, because I am 47 years old and I am used to playing this type of games.”

Will Dejan Kulusevski be there on Sunday to support the team?

Roberto: “I don't know, I think he can play so we have to stay focused on the players available to play.”

Vicario has had another week of training – do you see yourself sticking with Antonin Kinsky or is he now in the frame?

Roberto: “You want to know too much!”

You talk about Kulusevski coming back, you spoke about Ben Davies making the effort to stay with the team in the hotel. Can you understand why the fans are so angry that the captain is not going to be there and he could be at another match?

Roberto: “100% I understand.”

Do you think Cristian played his last game for Tottenham?

Roberto: “I don't know. I think Cristian is a top player and with me he was a top guy. When I say top guy, it's because I'm sure of what I'm saying. For the future, I don't know. Tomorrow is a crucial game for us, for our future, for our fans, for our club. We have to stay together and I don't want to answer about Romero and Kulusevski, because they can't play, they don't play, they are not here and my focus is on Djed Spence, Kolo Muani, Richarlison. We have to play with blood, with character, with the spirit because it's a final. They played a great final last season and they won the trophy. Maybe there was a bonus. After tomorrow there is not a trophy, there is not a bonus, there is something more important than trophy and there is the future of the club, there is the history of the club, there is the pride of the players, there is the pride of the family of the players, there is the dignity of every one of us and for that I can't lose energy thinking the next season. I repeat, I am not stupid. I have clear everything we have to do in the future, but to arrive in the future we have to go through another two tough, tough days together, because we play not in Everton’s stadium, we play with our fans, 60,000, great stadium. I played two games as a Tottenham coach and there were two amazing atmospheres. I am looking forward to sitting on my bench to sit two seconds but to stay in our stadium Sunday at four o'clock.”

Just from your perspective last year, are you amazed that the club is in this position now that last year they won a European trophy?

Roberto: “No, I think no one could imagine this situation, but we are inside and we have to fight without excuses, without nothing and to play.”

How important has Micky van de Ven been over these last few weeks and how much have you built a relationship with him during a really difficult time?

Roberto: “Great. I think he is the best centre-back in the Premier League. We talk a lot of times because I think he suffered maybe too much for the situation of Tottenham this season. He is a sensitive guy. He is a good guy and in my time, I think he played amazing. Just for reference, he is the best centre-back, left centre, in the Premier League.”

Who are your options on the right? You’ve stuck with Kolo Muani, who else could you use there?

Roberto: “Right winger can play Kolo Muani, can play Bergvall can play Souza, like in the Liverpool game, can play Djed Spence, can play Mathys Tel in the right side, or Pape Sarr in the left side and Mathys Tel in the right side. Kolo Muani can play striker, can play winger. We have to find a solution because we have not too many players and when you are not as a number, too many, you have to find a different solution, for sure.”

Roberto De Zerbi: “This game is like a final - it's a great thing to have the chance to play as a player”

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Roberto De Zerbi: “This game is like a final - it's a great thing to have the chance to play as a player” - Tottenham Hotspur
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We all know the scenario as we head to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for MW38 of the 2025/26 Premier League season - we’re two points ahead of West Ham in 17th, with a plus-12 goal difference over the Hammers. West Ham are also at home and host Leeds at the London Stadium.

Speaking at his pre-match press conference at Hotspur Way on Friday, Roberto said: “In football, there are different games. There are these type of games, like a final. For us, for West Ham, it will be two finals, and we have to adapt and we have to change the habits.

“I think it's a great thing to have the chance to play as a player. If I think as a player, for me, these types of games are good to play, to prepare, to suffer the pressure.

“The pressure is good. It depends if you are able to think, to stay strong, first of all, to stay positive. I think you can become, as I said after the Chelsea game, you can become better as a coach, as a player, as a man, because you can become better going through the tough moments. If everything is good in life, you can improve, but not in this way.”

Gallery: Shekiera Martinez's first day at Spurs!

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Gallery: Shekiera Martinez's first day at Spurs! - Tottenham Hotspur
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The Germany international put pen to paper on a long-term contract and will join us from West Ham United this summer.

Completing her move to north London, we were with her at Hotspur Way as she conduced her media duties before signing on the dotted line.

Here are some of the best images from her first time wearing a Lilywhite shirt…

Team news | Roberto De Zerbi's latest on Solanke, Maddison and Spence

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Team news | Roberto De Zerbi's latest on Solanke, Maddison and Spence - Tottenham Hotspur
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The striker has spent almost a month on the sidelines following a hamstring injury in our 1-0 win against Wolves at Molineux on 25 April. That means he’s missed our last three matches against Villa, Leeds and Chelsea, but he’s now back and in the mix for the Premier League season finale at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Speaking at his pre-match press conference on Friday, Roberto was asked about Dominic’s availability - and how many minutes he could expect from James Maddison, who has stepped off the bench for 16 and 28-minute stints against Leeds and Chelsea on his return from an ACL.

“Solanke is available for tomorrow,” said Roberto. “We have to decide if he starts in the first 11 or not. Maddison is available. It's always tough to decide before the game how many minutes he can play. Of course, he's a different player, he's a top player for us, but we have to analyse the physical condition, the Italian weather (he said, smiling) and a lot of things, but both are available.”

Roberto was later asked about Djed Spence, who suffered a facial injury after a clash with Liam Delap at Stamford Bridge.

“He's available, he's available,” he said. “I think it was another situation bad for us because I think it was a red card for Delap, but I have to repeat, I have no time and energy to lose thinking about red card, yellow card - we move on thinking just on the game. So, obviously, he can play.”

“I have been looking forward to this day” – Martinez

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“I have been looking forward to this day” – Martinez - Tottenham Hotspur
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Joining us from West Ham United this summer, where she has spent the past 18 months in east London, Shekiera put pen to paper on a long-term contract and is eager to get started in Lilywhite.

Known for her clinical finishing and relentless pace, the 24-year-old will already be a familiar name to supporters in the Women’s Super League, scoring 16 goals in 32 appearances in her spell with the Hammers, where she also claimed numerous Player of the Month awards in the league.

With invaluable experience from her time in Germany with Eintracht Frankfurt – where she also competed in UEFA Women’s Champions League - and SC Freiburg on loan for the first half of the 2024/25 campaign, she feels Spurs is the ‘perfect next step for her career’.

“It’s really exciting,” she told us, speaking to SPURSPLAY after completing a move to the club. “I have been looking forward to this day and I’m just really happy to be here right now.

“Spurs is the perfect next step for my career and also for me to improve as a player. They have a really good squad and a good idea of how they want to play - that's why I like to be here.

“I really felt the welcome here directly,” Shekiera added, talking about her chats with Martin Ho. “The talks I had with him, I really felt confident. It was just really nice. He wants to help me improve as a player, he wants me to bring my strength and he will help me score goals and improve as a player.”

“I hope they will see me scoring a lot. I'm really excited to meet the fans and my team-mates. They can enjoy seeing me having fun and just playing football. I can't wait to have my first game for Spurs and I'm excited to meet the team.”

Since making her first start in the WSL back in January, 2025, Shekiera has felt right at home in England, netting 20 goals in 41 appearances for West Ham, and she says the ‘intensity’ suits her style of play.

“I just like the intensity the WSL has,” she explained. “It's really intense, every team can always beat every team but I love having intensive games.

When asked about what type of player she is, Shekiera added: “I would say I'm a player that likes to play with my instinct. I just like to create chances, score goals, and I hope I can help the team with this.

“I like to be a striker, the number nine - I just like scoring goals. I always played as a striker, sometimes a winger, but only a few games. I really love playing offensively.”

Watch | Shekiera's first interview as a Spurs player

60 seconds on Everton | Phil McNulty, Chief Football Writer, BBC

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60 seconds on Everton | Phil McNulty, Chief Football Writer, BBC - Tottenham Hotspur
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Phil knows Merseyside football inside out, and has been at a number of our matches recently - so, who better to cast a neutral eye over what could be in store in N17 this weekend?

First up Phil - Everton - it doesn’t seem long ago they were on the tails of Liverpool and vying for European places - what’s been the story over the last few weeks?

Phil: "When Everton beat Chelsea in late March, there were genuine hopes that they could bring European football back to the club, but since then they have gone downhill and their small squad looks like it has run out of gas. They have developed an unfortunate habit of conceding late goals, as they did when losing at West Ham United and at home to Liverpool in the Merseyside derby, which felt like a real body blow and a big missed opportunity. They also lost leads against Manchester City, Crystal Palace and Sunderland, which has proved damaging to confidence and their points tally, meaning the European dream evaporated. What has also been crucial is that their two most creative players this season, certainly once Jack Grealish was ruled out for the season, Iliman Ndiaye and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, have looked jaded recently. They have both been outstanding for so much of the season, but have not been quite as influential recently."

Tactically, how has David Moyes played it in recent matches?

Phil: "Pretty much as he has all season. He’s been using Jake O’Brien as right-back. He is a central defender by trade but right back has been a problem for Everton this season, one which they should have solved in the summer, so he has been pressed into service. The experienced pair of James Tarkowski and Michael Keane have been in central defence, but Everton have been defensively vulnerable in recent times in that area. David Moyes has used a loan striker pretty much all season, with Beto being used ahead of Thierno Barry in recent weeks. The lack of high-class striker has hurt Everton this season, but Beto has a habit of getting better as the season goes on and this has happened again. He has been their main marksman in recent weeks, looking a threat and getting goals as he has been selected ahead of Barry."

James Garner has certainly caught the eye - what can you tell our fans about his performances?

Phil: "He’s had an excellent season and it was great news for Everton when he signed a new contract recently. He has also won England recognition as well. Thomas Tuchel did not select him for his World Cup squad, but he is a great admirer of Garner. He has occasionally had to fill in at right-back, but his real influence is in midfield, where he is competitive with a great range of passing, good at set pieces and also with an eye for a goal. Garner will play a big part in Everton's future."

The big question - you’ve been to quite a few of our games, you know Everton inside out - what are you expecting on Sunday?

Phil: "Good question given Everton's recent form. If they get it right, you will see a team that has been much better away from home this season, winning at places like Aston Villa and Manchester United, whereas their home form has been poor, losing eight and only winning six this season. This makes them dangerous, although they look like they have run out of steam, but a typical David Moyes team. Organised. Well-drilled. Competitive. And a Moyes team gives out no free passes, as they proved by almost beating Manchester City at home recently. Unless I’m mistaken, they will not have their flip-flops on this Sunday. As for Spurs, I won't need to remind anyone of their poor home form this season, but this needs just one last big push on and off the field, to get the point they need. I'm expecting a great atmosphere at that wonderful stadium."

Finally Phil, from a professional perspective, what’s it like covering a game like this for the BBC? And then you’re off to the World Cup!

Phil: "This will not be great reading for Spurs fans, but there is always excitement when you are covering a game on the final day of the season with so much riding on it. And this time it is for Spurs. This has happened a lot in recent seasons (where Everton have been involved on occasions) and you never lose the feeling and tension of being somewhere covering a game where the stakes are high. Who knows what the outcome will be? Although we obviously now how Spurs will want the story of this season to end. And then it’s off to America for almost six weeks at the World Cup. It’s my seventh World Cup stretching back to Japan and South Korea in 2002 and the feeling is the same every time. It will be an adventure, a time of real excitement – and maybe I’ll even see England win this time having covered five European championships as well. Bring it on."

Martinez to join from West Ham United

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The 24-year-old Germany international has signed a long-term contract with the club, and will become a Spurs player upon the opening of the summer transfer window next month.

Shekiera said: "I’m delighted to be a Spurs player. This is the perfect next step for my career and also for me to improve as a player.

"The Club has a really good squad and a good idea of how they want to play - that's why I'm so happy to be here.

"When I spoke with Martin, I really felt confident. He wants to help me improve as a player, to bring my strengths to the team and I know he will help me score goals, too."

Our Head Coach Martin Ho said: "Shekiera is a player we have admired for some time, so we are delighted she has chosen to come to Tottenham Hotspur, especially with the level of significant interest there was in her.

"That shows not only the quality she already has, but also the belief across the game in what she can become. She has already shown, both in Germany and here in the WSL, that she can impact games at a high level, and what excites us most is the level she can still reach.

"She is a forward with real presence, intelligent movement and a strong instinct in the box. She can stretch teams, link play and give us a real threat across the front line. Her profile gives us different solutions in the final third, both as a goalscorer and as someone who can help the team connect and create chances.

"At 24, she has already proven herself in two demanding leagues, but we believe this environment can help take her game to another level. Our responsibility now is to support her, challenge her and give her the platform to keep developing the details of her game, her consistency, decision-making, work without the ball and ability to become even more ruthless in key moments.

"Shekiera has the talent, the ambition and the mentality to become an important player for Spurs, and we are really excited to work with her as part of the future we are building here."

A dynamic and energetic forward, Shekiera began her career with SV Glaserzell and FV Horas before making the move to Eintracht Frankfurt in 2016. She made more than 100 appearances for the German side and featured in the UEFA Women’s Champions League.

Following eight years with the Frauen-Bundesliga side, she joined West Ham in July, 2024, however spent the first half of that campaign back in Germany on loan with SC Freiburg before returning to the Hammers in January, 2025 where she made an immediate impact in the Women's Super League.

Scoring on her first start in England’s top flight, Shekiera wrapped up the 2024/25 campaign with 10 goals in 12 league appearances and finished as the second top goalscorer in the competition. She also won back-to-back WSL Player of the Month awards in March and April and the league’s Rising Star award at the Women’s Professional Game Awards.

During her first full WSL season in 2025/26, Shekiera netted six goals across all competitions, with one of those winning the league’s Goal of the Month award in December for an impressive bicycle-kick against Manchester United.

Her eye-catching displays in east London saw her receive a maiden senior call-up to the Germany squad in October, 2025 and she made her debut the following month in the UEFA Women’s Nations League final against Spain.