Soccer
Roberto De Zerbi invites ex-Tottenham players to training ground get-together
Roberto De Zerbi hosted a collection of Tottenham greats and put on lunch for them at the club’s Hotspur Way training ground on Thursday.
De Zerbi has often talked up the importance of family and rebuilding Spurs’ “soul” after he masterminded Premier League survival during his seven games in charge at the end of a disastrous 2025-26 campaign.
The next move by the Italian, who has built up plenty of credit since his March arrival, was to along with chief executive Vinai Venkatesham welcome former Tottenham players on Thursday to watch training. Glenn Hoddle and Gary Mabbutt were amongst those in attendance before they had lunch with club staff and the first-team squad.
Club record appearance holder Steve Perryman was at Hotspur Way as part of a 22-player group which contained 1991 FA Cup winner Erik Thorstvedt, Chris Hughton, Clive Allen, Allan Nielsen, David Howells, Les Ferdinand, Jermain Defoe, Michael Dawson and Younes Kaboul in addition to others.
Graham Roberts was another in attendance. He played a key role in UEFA Cup success in 1984 and was also involved in two FA Cup wins for Spurs during the early 1980s.
Roberts revealed on social media platform X that a group of the club greats had experienced an “absolutely amazing day” at Hotspur Way.
“What a great day. Just back from the training ground with all our legends,” Roberts said on X.
“We watched the training of the first-team and then had lunch with the manager and all the first-team squad. It was (an) absolutely amazing day.
“Our manager is fantastic mixing with us and his training was great as though it was a match day.”
