Six of the best as Legends defeat AC Milan Glorie

Our Spurs Legends rolled back the years and lit up N17 once again with an entertaining 6-2 win over AC Milan Glorie on Sunday afternoon.

Robbie Keane hit a first-half hat-trick with Jermain Defoe and a Sandro humdinger putting us 5-0 up at half-time and after the break, Michael Brown also found the target while our Italian guests – who more than played their part on a wonderful occasion – responded through Cristian Zaccardo and a truly magnificent free-kick from the great Andrea Pirlo.

The list of legends who turned up to take part in a game – held in aid of the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation – was fantastic with stars including Aaron Lennon, Dimitar Berbatov, Ledley King, Michael Dawson and Teddy Sheringham in our squad, along with Massimo Ambrosini and Brazilian greats Cafu and Dida among the Milan names.

The scoreline was never the important part of the day but that didn’t stop us producing an excellent first half with a forward line of Lennon, Defoe, Keane and Berbatov too hot to handle!

It was as if we’d been transported back to the 2006/07 season for the opening goal as Berbatov flicked the ball out wide to Lennon on the right and his low first time cross was slammed home past Dida by Keane in the ninth minute. The Irish star asked the crowd in the North Stand whether he should do his famous cartwheel celebration – they replied with an emphatic yes and he duly obliged to huge applause!

Just five minutes later, Younes Kaboul played a pass in to Keane, who dummied the ball to find Defoe and he advanced to the edge of the area before hitting a crisp right-foot shot into the bottom corner. Keane added our third in the 18th minute as we threatened to run away with the game, played in by an incisive Teemu Tainio pass and confidently beating Dida, before action switched to the other end with Milan’s first sight of goal, Federico Giunti with a low drive which was heading for the bottom corner before Heurelho Gomes dived to his right to tip it past the post – and celebrated like he’d just scored the winner!

The one and only King left the pitch after half an hour to a standing ovation, replaced by Sebastien Bassong, and we made it 4-0 soon after. Sandro only scored three goals during his 105 appearances in our colours, all of them screamers, and he added to that list here, drilling a low 25-yard strike past compatriot Dida. And it was five in the 40th minute when Lennon nicked the ball on the edge of the box and squared for Keane, unmarked at the back post, to complete his hat-trick.

Plenty of changes were made by both sides at the break, the likes of Benoit Assou-Ekotto and Michael Brown playing at the new stadium for the first time, while it was Milan with the early opportunities in the second half. They came from Brazilian ace Cafu, who struck one fierce drive just wide and forced Michel Vorm into a fine save with another effort. We swapped one legendary number 10 for another just before the hour as Keane made way for Sheringham although it was our Italian guests with the next goal, getting on the scoresheet for the first time as Cafu rolled the ball across for Zaccardo to slot home.

The mercurial Berbatov showed he hasn’t lost any of his ability when he brought Assou-Ekotto’s pass down out of the air with a silky touch and played in Defoe, the move ending with Allan Nielsen firing over the bar before Zaccardo went close again for the visitors, Vorm with a smart save to deny him. It would be fair to say there was a change of pace down our left flank for the closing minutes as the speedy Lennon was replaced by 1980s hero Mark Falco – a stalwart of Spurs Legends teams down the years and still pulling on the famous white jersey at the age of 64.

We made it 6-1 in the 76th minute when Defoe caused panic in the Milan defence and the ball landed at the feet of Brown, who drilled home from eight yards out, followed by the goal of the game from the golden boot of Pirlo. After Assou-Ekotto had bundled over Cafu 22 yards from goal, the Italian maestro struck a wonderful free-kick around the wall and into the top corner past Vorm – an absolute beauty! Falco almost capped a perfect afternoon with a goal, only to see his shot headed off the line by Serginho, while the whistle blew moments later to bring the curtain down on a fantastic occasion enjoyed by players and fans alike.

Match data

Goals: Spurs Legends – Keane 9, 18, 40, Defoe 14, Sandro 34, Brown 76; AC Milan Glorie – Zaccardo 63, Pirlo 83.

Referee: Farai Hallam.

Venue: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Weather: Light winds, light rain, 15 degrees.