Love him or loathe him, Jose Mourinho is about to take Tottenham Hotspur on one of the most interesting adventures they will face as a football club, ever.
Since his appointment in November, we've already seen highs and lows, as well as some exciting transfers. And while some fans still mourn the loss of Mauricio Pochettino, there is no doubting Mourinho's CV.
But while the Mourinho era is yet to truly get underway due to the coronavirus outbreak halting football pretty much worldwide, this is the perfect time to reflect on Spurs' time in the Premier League.
To keep things fresh during football's absence, here's a take on Tottenham's greatest Premier League XI, with one nation only allowed to be represented once...
GK: Hugo Lloris (France)
Signing for Spurs in 2012, Lloris has seen Spurs transition through several phases.
The Frenchman immediately made his mark as the club's number one and has since developed into one of the Premier League's - and perhaps Europe's - strongest goalkeepers during his peak. He was named Spurs captain in 2015 and kept an impressive 15 Premier League clean sheets in the 2016/17 season.
Despite recent inconsistencies, Lloris helped his side reach the 2019 Champions League final and has amassed over 300 appearances for Spurs in all competitions.
RB: Stephen Carr (Republic of Ireland)
Irishman Carr came up through the youth ranks at Spurs, signing as a 15-year-old. He debuted in 1993, but didn't establish himself as a mainstay in the starting XI until 1996.
Carr's performances for Spurs were consistent and he served the club for over a decade, winning the League Cup in 1999. He made 248 appearances in total for the club before eventually moving on in 2004, signing for Newcastle.
Look up his goal against Manchester United in 1999. Absolute blockbuster.
CB: Toby Alderweireld (Belgium)
A product of the Ajax youth set-up, Toby Alderweireld didn't come to England and get his move straight to the top.
The Belgian impressed after signing for Southampton on loan during the 2014/15 season from Atletico Madrid, catching the eye of a number of clubs. Spurs came out on top, however, and secured his signature ahead of the 2015/16 season, as he joined up with former Ajax teammates Christian Eriksen and Jan Vertonghen.
Alderweireld continued to impress, quickly becoming one of the best centre backs in England and Europe. He was voted Spurs Player of the Year in the 2015/16 season and made the PFA Team of the Year in the same campaign. Despite interest from other clubs, the Belgian put pen to paper on a new deal during of the 2019/20 season.
CB: Davinson Sanchez (Colombia)
If you hadn't figured it out already, Ajax have quite a reputation of spotting and producing very talented players.
Sanchez signed for Spurs for a then club record £42m in 2017, having impressed at Ajax the previous season. Much younger than Alderweireld, Sanchez is very much the future for Spurs at just 23.
Despite some inconsistencies in his performances, there is no doubt that the Colombian is an asset to the club and will likely be relied upon even more when senior members of the squad eventually leave.
LB: Benoit Assou-Ekotto (Cameroon)
In a time before Mauricio Pochettino and the exciting squad he took to the Champions League final, Spurs enjoyed a mixed bag of success.
Cameroonian left back Assou-Ekotto struggled after signing in 2006, but would eventually blossom under Harry Redknapp in 2009. He cemented his place as the starting left back over the next few years, forming a good partnership with wing wizard Gareth Bale.
CM: Luka Modric (Croatia)
The only Ballon d'Or winner in this team, it's no surprise that Luka Modric represents Spurs on the Croatian front. Sorry, Niko Kranjcar.
The midfielder has enjoyed an incredible career which first blossomed when he tore up the Premier League with Spurs under Redknapp, helping them to a top four finish in 2010. He quickly developed into one of the best players in England and put in some memorable performances in Tottenham's 2010/11 Champions League campaign before earning a move to Real Madrid in 2012.
Since then, Modric has consistently been one of Madrid's best players. Perhaps he's unappreciated at times, purely for how well he slotted in at Real. Without a doubt one of the best of the past decade, Modric can pass, dribble, score goals and is able to operate in any part of the midfield.
He also captained his country to a World Cup final in 2018 and won the Ballon d'Or in the same year. Not bad.
CM: Christian Eriksen (Denmark)
While Modric was holding it down in north London from 2008 to 2012, Christian Eriksen was forging a reputation at Ajax as a dangerously exciting midfielder, helping the Dutch side to a handful of league titles.
He signed for Spurs in 2013, who had just lost Bale to - you guessed it - Real Madrid. The Dane was by far and away the best investment Spurs made with that Bale cash, though that's hardly an impressive feat when you look at who they spent it on.
Eriksen quickly settled in at Spurs and built a reputation as one of the best players in the Premier League. His vision and creativity, combined with his magnificent range and set-piece ability, saw him score 69 goals and assist 89 times in all competitions for Spurs, where he made 305 total appearances, before leaving for Inter in January 2020.
CM: Rafael van der Vaart (Netherlands)
Another product of the Ajax academy, Van der Vaart actually made the switch from Madrid to Tottenham in 2010.
An exciting deadline day signing, Van der Vaart was determined to be a success at Spurs, having failed to make a significant impact with Real. His first season was exactly that, as he finished with 13 goals and nine assists in the Premier League.
He also loved playing against Arsenal, scoring five goals in four appearances versus the Gunners, making his presence well and truly felt during his two years in north London. He returned to former club Hamburg in 2012 and may well have built a firmer legacy had Andre Villas-Boas not given him the boot.
RW: Son Heung-min (South Korea)
Not only one of the Premier League's most devastating forwards but also the owner of one of the best quiffs in the game, Son Heung-min has it all.
Son became the most expensive Asian player in history when he signed for Spurs for £22m in 2015, but that price looks like a steal at this point. The South Korean is competent with both feet and can find the net with supreme accuracy, which makes him a solid option on either wing or as a second striker.
He also never shies away from the exceptional, with individual belters against Burnley and Chelsea displaying his remarkable talent for all to see.
ST: Harry Kane (England)
It comes as no surprise that Harry Kane represents England in this XI. Perhaps the John Cena of Spurs - not because of an obsession with jean shorts or spinner belts - in that he has quickly developed into the face of the entire club thanks to his unmatched ability, Kane is no doubt one of football's best strikers.
After joining Spurs at youth level in 2004, Kane had to work his way into the first team through several loan spells in the early 2010s. It wasn't until 2014, upon the appointment of Mauricio Pochettino, that Kane was properly gambled on. He bagged 31 goals in all competitions in the 2014/15 season, and the rest is history.
Kane has grown into the go-to guy for Spurs. He became the club's top scorer in the Premier League in 2018, and reached the Champions League final in 2019, though injury deprived him of playing a proper role in the latter.
LW: Gareth Bale (Wales)
Speaking of world-class Spurs players, Bale completes this XI. Obviously.
Signing as a left back in 2007, Bale initially jostled for a place in the team with Assou-Ekotto. However, his blistering pace and attacking threat saw him pushed him into a more advanced role during the 2010/11 season. It was his incredible hat-trick against Inter that announced him to the world and set the tone for the rest of his career.
From that point onward, the Welshman rapidly progressed into Spurs' best player, with his 2012/13 season one of the best individual Premier League campaigns ever. He bagged 26 goals and 15 assists in all competitions and moved to Real Madrid for a then-world record fee in 2013.
Bale has endured a tough time in Madrid. Despite winning countless pieces of silverware, he's never quite fit in properly and connected with Los Blancos, often being smeared by the Spanish press. Talk of a return to north London is never ending and, while it probably won't happen, it might just be the fairytale ending the streets are dying for.
Source : 90min