Barnes, Dalglish, Errol Brown - the night we thanked Danny Thomas, 32 years ago

Today (28 March) marks the anniversary of the night we paid tribute to flying full-back Danny Thomas - and when Liverpool legends Kenny Dalglish and John Barnes pulled on a Spurs shirt.

Over 20,000 fans turned out that night at White Hart Lane for a player whose career was cruelly cut short in January, 1988, at the age of just 26, having suffered a serious knee injury against QPR in March, 1987.

An all-rounder from his full-back position, sharp into the tackle, always looking to get forward, Danny joined us from Coventry City in 1983 and played 110 times for us in all competitions - UEFA Cup winner in 1984 - until injury struck.

The Club didn’t hesitate to organise a benefit match once Danny had to call time on his career with Sir Alex Ferguson agreeing to bring a strong Manchester United team to the Lane on Monday 28 March, 1988.

Dalglish and Barnes - who were on the way to clinch a fifth championship in the 1980s for Liverpool, soon followed by their sixth (and 18th overall) in 1989/90 - started for Spurs, with the likes of Steve Bruce, Norman Whiteside and Paul McGrath in the United squad. United won 3-2, Steve Archibald and Steve Hodge on target for us.

Speaking to us from his base in Florida, where he’s now a physiotherapist (in fact, he has been for the best part of 30 years), Danny, never forgotten by fans here at Spurs, was more than happy to take a trip down memory lane to that night 32 years ago...

“Well, I guess you call something like that ‘bitter-sweet’,” he said. “It was going to be my last involvement with the football club. I’d had a few wonderful years there, played with great players, met some great people and you don’t expect a career like I’d had to end so soon.

“There had only been, I believe, one player – and that was Maurice Norman, back in the 1960s – who, reasonably within their peak, had to retire early from the game. It was unusual for something like that to occur.

“All that said, I enjoyed the night thoroughly. I was most impressed first of all with Sir Alex Ferguson and the team he brought down.

“Leading the team out, for a start, was Errol Brown, the lead singer with Hot Chocolate, who sadly passed away (in 2015). He was a huge United fan. When you live in the London area and play for a London team, you tend to meet up with these kinds of people. Every pop star I ever met wanted to be a footballer. And we all wanted to be Mick Jagger! Errol paid good money to lead United out, so that was a lovely gesture from him.

“People’s generosity... so wonderful. Kenny Dalglish and John Barnes gave up their time to play. It was just so good of people to give up their time for my cause. We had a super night, we really did.”

How did Danny feel when he was told he could no longer play professionally? What does he remember about that famous 1984 UEFA Cup Final, and that penalty miss? Look out for more from him soon...