10 Underwhelming Spurs Signings Who Became Cult Heroes

5. Teemu Tainio

Nobody knew much about the 25 year old Finnish midfielder when he was snapped up on a free transfer from Auxerre nine years ago, but by the time he left the club for Sunderland in 2008, Teemu Tainio had firmly established a cult following at White Hart Lane. It's always a surprise when someone is offered a seven-year deal at a club, so eyebrows were certainly raised when the Scandinavian was offered the long-term contract in the summer of 2005, with many Spurs supporters screaming out for a more well-recognised midfield partner for the influential Michael Carrick. Robust and combative, Spurs supporters quickly took to the Finnish midfielder, as he launched into full-blooded tackles and left not one morsel of energy in the changing room. Whilst he wasn't the most gifted of footballers, he was as honest as the day is long, and they appreciated him for that. In his final season, he even appeared in the club's triumphant League Cup victory over Chelsea in 2008, coming as a 75th minute substitute. One of a number of Spurs players struck down by the plague of food poisoning in that infamous 'Lasagne-Gate' incident at Upton Park eight years ago, Tainio still played on, leading to a 2-1 defeat which cost the White Hart Lane outfit Champions League football for the next season.