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David Pleat says £7m signing is one of the best he ever made at Tottenham
David Pleat has been perhaps the most important figure at Tottenham over the past 40 years.
From manager to Director of Football to scout to coach, Pleat has been involved at Spurs one way or another for a long time now, and he’s responsible for a lot of the good work Tottenham have done over the years.
Indeed, Pleat has sourced a number of Spurs signings in recent times from Dele Alli to Heung-Min Son.
Speaking on The View from the Lane, Pleat has been discussing some of his favourite signings for Tottenham, and, interestingly, he named Robbie Keane’s move from Leeds as one of his favourite deals.
David Pleat names Robbie Keane as one of his favourite Tottenham signings
Pleat named Keane among his favourite signings for Spurs.
The Tottenham legend also named Jermain Defoe and Paul Robinson as two other brilliant signings he was happy to make for Tottenham.
“Who are the players you’re most proud of bringing in?” Pleat was asked.
“I was very happy to bring in Jermain Defoe, and I was very happy to bring in Mr Keane from Leeds United. The last one before I left and came back again was the goalkeeper, Robinson, he went on to play for England. In more recent times, Dele Alli, I watched Son, I watched Eriksen twice in Holland,” Pleat said.
Tottenham missed out on two incredible signings
Pleat clearly has a fantastic eye for talent, but, for some reason, Tottenham don’t always listen to his views.
Indeed, Pleat actually recommended both Jarrod Bowen and Ivan Toney to Tottenham before they became stars with West Ham and Brentford respectively.
Unfortunately, Tottenham didn’t heed Pleat’s advice on this occasion, and they ultimately missed out.
Pleat is an old-school footballing mind, but that sort of experience is still so valuable in this day and age.
Pleat has bemoaned Tottenham’s usage of data and stats these days, and given how some of Spurs’ big-name signings have performed in recent years, it has to be said that he may have a point about Spurs’ transfer policy.
At the age of 79, Pleat is winding down having left Tottenham in 2024, but, as his appearance on this podcast shows, he’s still as sharp as ever, and he’s a valuable resource if Spurs do need an expert eye cast over a potential signing in the future.