Advertisement

Diego Maradona: How Tottenham tried - and failed - to sign the football legend

 (Getty Images)
(Getty Images)

Diego Maradona famously once donned the white shirt of Tottenham for Ossie Ardiles’ testimonial, but the football legend almost signed permanently for Spurs.

Maradona passed away on Wednesday, prompting mourning across the globe for a player widely regarded as one of the greatest of all time.

Former Spurs player and manager Ardiles was one of the first to pay tribute to his ex-team-mate, writing: “Thank dear Dieguito for your friendship, for your football, sublime, without comparison. Simply, the best football player in the history of football.”

However, Ardilles attempted to bring Maradona to White Hart Lane on a permanent basis during the twilight years of the midfielder's career.

Teddy Sheringham told Stadium Astro: "I got on really well with Ossie, and I think I was the captain at the time, and Ossie came to me one day and said 'I want your opinion, I'm thinking about signing someone'".

"And I was like 'go on' and he was like 'Diego Maradona', and I went 'Ossie, Ossie, really!? Are you? Do it, just do it'.

"He said 'I'm in talks with him at the moment' and I was like 'my God, do it, it would be brilliant to play with him'.

"He came to me about three days later and was like 'I've decided not to sign Diego, he's got too much baggage around him'."

Maradona did pull on a Spurs shirt once when he appeared in Ardiles' testimonial.

The disappointment of missing out on Maradona did not last long for Sheringham as World Cup winner Jurgen Klinsmann soon arrived to bolster the Spurs front line.

This weekend get a £10 free bet with Betfair, when you bet £10 on a Same Game Multi on the Premier League.

Terms: Min £10 Same Game Multi bet on any EPL match this Fri - Sun. Free bet valid for 72 hours, awarded at bet settlement. Excludes cashed out bets. T&Cs apply.

Read More

Tottenham vs Ludogorets preview: Team news, prediction, how to watch

Lineker recalls tales of Maradona genius: ‘Everyone was in awe of him’

The day Diego Maradona played for Spurs at White Hart Lane

Diego Maradona: The highs and lows of a legendary career