2,055 - part nine

Three giants of Tottenham Hotspur. 10 questions.

Welcome to part nine of our special 2,055 Q&A with Steve Perryman, Gary Mabbutt and Pat Jennings, all-time Spurs greats and our top three appearance makers with 854, 611 and 590 matches respectively, a grand total of 2,055.

Over the course of the 10-part series we’ll talk about the day they signed, walking into the dressing room as youngsters, biggest influences and magic moments over their collective span of 34 years at the Club we all love - 1964-1998. What game would they love to play again? What made them proudest? Over 20 years since the last of the trio retired from playing - Mabbsy in 1998 - what does Spurs mean to them?

These are our heroes, legends whose names are and will be forever indelibly linked with Tottenham Hotspur.

2,055 - part nine

You spent years and years at Spurs - what makes the Club so special?

Steve Perryman

854 appearances, 1969-1986, joined us in 1967

Steve: “It’s the public, the surroundings, the feeling in the air of football appreciation, football judgement. It’s in the air in north London. I think they find you out very quickly. They are good judges, harsh judges, but if you give them your honest performance, it’s rewarded. The appreciation level is amazing and I’m living off that today, not monetary, but living off the claim of what people see as loyal. I don’t want that to be ‘the most loyal’ or the most this, most that. I’m loyal, and that’s what they are. I’m matching them. That’s the point of Tottenham, the link between the supporters and the team on the pitch. I can only talk about my era. My 19 years. In that time, when the crowd and the team were one, you got special. I felt special. We achieved special. Even the day we went down, in a way that was special. The fans sung ‘we are coming back’ and that wasn’t so much in appreciation of the team that just got them relegated, it was in appreciation of their Club. ‘We are coming back’. It’s in the air. That was me sat in a café and the ground staff saying to me, when I’m in the first team, aged 21, saying ‘are you ever going to have a shot or what?’ It wasn’t glory, it was down-to-earth, proper... even the micky-taking was proper.”

Gary Mabbutt

611 appearances, 1982-1998

“I come back to my relationship with the fans, for me, the people who have really made my life what it is. Even when I go to the likes of America, Africa, Asia, wherever I go... I went to Kuala Lumpur to meet supporters last year and it was an amazing experience how they looked after me. Once the Club is in your heart, it’s there and the heartbeat of the Club is the fans.”

Pat Jennings

590 appearances, 1964-1977

“I’ve been with this great Club since joining as an 18-year-old, played with so many great players and worked with some great managers, coaches and staff since. I’ve also had a great relationship with the fans over the years. It’s amazing where the time has gone. I’ve been at the Club for 40 years now, it seems incredible, 40 years.”

Next: 2,055 - part 10 of 10

What does Tottenham Hotspur mean to you?

2,055 - the series

Part one - What do you remember about the day you signed for Spurs?
Part two - What was it like stepping into the dressing room for the first time with all those greats around you?
Part three - At the start of your Spurs career, was there a defining moment when you felt you really belonged?
Part four - Bill Nicholson meant a lot to you all, and played a key role in all of your careers - do you have one abiding memory of the great man?
Part five - Who were the biggest influences in your Spurs career?
Part six - If you could turn back time and play one game again, what would it be?
Part seven - The appearances, the trophies, the glory - what are you most proud of?
Part eight - What are your top three moments at Spurs?