Tottenham Hotspur face Real Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Tottenham Hotspur are back in Champions League action on Wednesday night, as they take on Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu in a daunting task.
The last time Tottenham travelled to face Real Madrid in the Champions League way back in April 2011, a 10-man Spurs side were hammered 4-0 after Peter Crouch’s red card, with Emmanuel Adebayor scoring twice before Angel Di Maria and Cristiano Ronaldo struck.
As Mauricio Pochettino prepares his side for the trip to Madrid, here is the Tottenham side which started against Real over six years ago, and where they are now…
Heurelho Gomes: The Brazilian’s time with Spurs wasn’t exactly glittering, and he conceded four goals on the night against Real, but has rebuilt his career away from White Hart Lane with Watford. The 35-year-old now has more than 100 Premier League appearances for the Hornets, though few Tottenham fans will miss him.
Vedran Corluka: Played as a right back at the Bernabeu and for most of his time with Tottenham, Croatian Corluka was sold to Lokomotiv Moscow just over a year after this 4-0 thrashing. Now a dominant centre back in Russia, Corluka has racked up over 100 appearances for Lokomotiv, and is approaching 100 caps for Croatia having been a trusted veteran for club and country.
William Gallas: A controversial signing in 2010 after his Arsenal contract ended, Gallas spent three years with Tottenham before heading to Perth Glory, finishing his career in 2014. Now 40, Gallas hasn’t stayed around football, and he enjoyed something of a torrid night during Real Madrid’s 4-0 win.
Angel Di Maria of Real Madrid is challenged by Michael Dawson and Benoit Assou Ekotto of Tottenham Hotspur
Michael Dawson: A popular figure during his time with Spurs having captained the side and made over 300 appearances for the club, Dawson only left the club in 2014 after Mauricio Pochettino’s arrival as manager. The 33-year-old is still turning out for Hull City in the Championship, and has been a regular under Leonid Slutsky this season as he continues to play at a high level despite his advancing years.
Benoit Assou-Ekotto: Signed from Lens in 2006, Assou Ekotto played on the left of the Spurs defence against Real Madrid and throughout his career, which is still going with Metz in France, despite his prior claims that he didn’t love football. The Cameroon international, 33, blew hot and cold with Spurs, and few were sad to see him leave in 2015.
Sandro: Once billed as a dominant midfielder with Spurs, Brazilian Sandro – who actually thrived in the 2010-11 season – lost his way with Tottenham. The 28-year-old made just shy of 100 appearances for Spurs, and is now turning out for Antalyaspor in Turkey having joined from QPR earlier this year.
Jermaine Jenas: A 2005 signing from Newcastle United, Jenas played over 200 games for Spurs and was a fairly dependable midfielder during his time with the club. After retiring in 2014, Jenas moved into punditry, often working for the BBC whilst covering Premier League games, often praising and defending Tottenham.
Tottenham Hotspur’s Gareth Bale (R) vies with Real Madrid’s Ricardo Carvalho
Luka Modric: One of the most popular Spurs players of the last ten years, Croatian midfield maestro Modric played 150 times for Tottenham before his superb displays earned him a 2012 move to Real Madrid. Modric – one of the world’s top midfielders – has been a key player for Real ever since his move, and is in line to play against his former club on Wednesday.
Rafael van der Vaart: Signed from Real Madrid in 2010, Van der Vaart hit 28 goals in 77 games for Spurs as he emerged as a fan favourite, before his surprise 2012 move back to Hamburg. His career has never returned to those heights with Spurs, as after a short spell with Real Betis, he is now playing in Denmark with Midtjylland, in what was another shock move.
Gareth Bale: Bale played as a left-sided forward in this game, and this was just around the time where the Welshman really shot himself to stardom. Bale ended up hitting 55 goals in 203 games for Spurs, which earned him his record-breaking move to Real Madrid in 2013 – though injury looks set to keep him out of a reunion on Wednesday.
Peter Crouch: Sent off on the night in Madrid after two bookings, Crouch was sold to Stoke City just months after the game having hit just 12 Premier League goals for Tottenham. Crouch, now 36, is still going with the Potters, and is still popping up with the occasional goal for Mark Hughes’ side, even in the final stages of his career.
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