10 Underwhelming Spurs Signings Who Became Cult Heroes

8. Nourredine Naybet

Usually, buying a player that almost signed for Manchester United would not exactly cause Spurs supporters concern. Indeed, it might be seen as something of a coup that they have reached a position where they are able to usurp Sir Alex Ferguson in his unending quest for transfers. The main difference, however, with Moroccan international Nourredine Naybet's transfer to Spurs was that it was five years after his proposed move to treble-winning Man United had collapsed. With the Red Devils showing reservations about his knee, they had instead opted for Mikael Silvestre. Naybet was now 34 years old - surely he was past his best? While he didn't last long in the Spurs first team, the former Deportivo la Coruna stalwart proved to be a vital player for the club during his debut 04/05 season, marshalling a sometimes leaky defence. What endeared Naybet to the White Hart Lane faithful was his willingness to wear his heart on his sleeve, despite the fact the he was reaching the twilight of his career. Of course, a goal against Arsenal duly celebrated with the supporters within a few weeks of his arrival didn't harm his popularity in any way. In true typical Spurs fashion, they of course still lost that game, despite scoring four goals against their north London rivals. He was swiftly replaced in his second season at the club, and only made three more appearances for the White Hart Lane outfit, but for a player who only lasted one season in the first-team, it's testament to his cult hero status that he remains such a popular figure to this day.