Stephen Carr was a fantastic player for Spurs and, despite the fact that there was interest from Manchester United just prior to his eventual departure, he was never so big that Spurs would be in a position to absolutely have to sell him - he'd never have forced his way out. That point is validated by his actual departure, which saw him make the - at best - sideways step to Newcastle United. The Irish international spent eleven years at Spurs between 1993 and 2004 before his departure and he was only 27 (a few days shy of his 28th birthday) when he left White Hart Lane for St James' Park. He had been in the Premier League Team of the Season twice prior to his departure - including the season before he left - so it was a big surprise that Spurs were prepared to let him go. Tenacious, hard working and completely no-nonsense, Carr was notably missed after he left.
