The Irish striker was at Reading at the time, but his phone was off when Spurs came calling.
Kevin Doyle of Reading celebrates with team mate Noel Hunt
Irish striker Kevin Doyle has explained how he missed out on a transfer to Tottenham Hotspur in 2008. Speaking on The Keith Andrews show in Ireland the former Republic of Ireland international explained that Tottenham were interested in signing him from Reading after losing Dimitar Berbatov to Manchester United.
But then-Reading boss Steve Coppell had a great method of preventing a sale, he told all his players to switch their phones off:
“I remember at Reading on transfer deadline day, getting a call actually to go Spurs. [They said], ‘Kevin, we can’t get through to your club. They’ve all turned off their phones’.
“[Tottenham] had just sold Berbatov to Manchester United and they were desperate to get someone in and I was at Reading doing well.
“We’d been given a couple of days off. [Coppell] had told everyone at Reading to shut their phone off once the day before had gone; he said there’s no one coming or leaving.”
Doyle last played for MLS side Colorado Rapids, and has now retired from football after a series of concussions, was a big hit at Reading during his time at the Berkshire club and played in their incredible record-breaking 2005-06 Championship campaign and had just had a storming start to the Championship campaign at the time of this apparent transfer approach.
He went on to play with Wolverhampton Wanderers before three seasons in the States with Colorado.
Rurik Gislason of Iceland tackles Kevin Doyle of Republic of Ireland
Doyle, who was known for his tireless effort and aerial ability, was a very good player, but was certainly never up to replacing the nonchalant enigma that was Berbatov.
Tottenham went on to bring Jermain Defoe back to the club and signed another Irish striker in Robbie Keane that season with the money they earned from the Berbatov deal.
No doubt Doyle would have loved to join Tottenham, but such a move would certainly not have been overly well received by Tottenham fans.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
