'Theres only one Danny Thomas'

                                                         
As fans we have players that we remember fondly, players that we took too when we first started supporting the team, or players that we think are going to take us to places we haven't been before. They maybe a Gazza type player who we feel will lead us back to the glory days, or they maybe a Kyle Walker or Danny Rose that remind us of a player that we took to our hearts as kids.

I mention the latter two because they remind me of a player I fell in love watching when I was kid in the mid 80's, Danny Thomas. Bought from Coventry in June 1983 for £250,000, I know we could get decent players for a week of Rooneys salary back in the day, Danny was already a full capped international when he arrived.

Danny struggled with injuries at first, and then was up against Perryman, Mabbutt and Hughton for a place in the starting line up but eventually his class showed through and he became a regular first teamer. Danny was one of those players in my opinion who was ahead of his time. Comfortable on either flank he had pace and a vision for perfect pass.

Nowadays he'd be worth millions, he would also be classed as more of a wing-back than a fullback. I used to love watching him get the ball and charge of down the line with it, or watch an attacker think he had got the better of him, only for Danny to appear and perfectly time his tackle.

He was absolutely brilliant in the 1984 UEFA Cup Final, played over two legs in May of that year we drew 1-1 with Anderlecht at their place then 1-1 at home at ours. Graham Roberts scoring in the 84th minute to level the tie and take it into extra-time.

I remeber that game like it was yesterday, too young to go to the game, I was allowed to stay up and watch it. I sat there in my Spurs kit hoping that we would win the game and lift the trophy. I remember Mickey Hazzard leaving the pitch to put his contact lenses back in, I remeber Tony Parks having the game of his life in normal time before saving two penalties in the shoot out to win us the game.

Most of all though I remember Danny walking up to take that first penalty and missing it. He was devastated, but the ground began to sing his name 'Theres only one Danny Thomas' poured down from the Paxton end and I sat there at home singing it as well. Hopefully letting him know that whatever happened he had won his place in our hearts.

This was a team full of characters, Hoddle, Roberts, Hazzard, Falco, Crooks, Perryman, Ardiles, yet this young right back was the one we were all singing for. Danny could and should have gone on to have a very successful career within the game, who knows he may have out grown us one day and moved onto Liverpool, who were dominating the game back then and were well known to have watched him a few times.

Unfortunately it wasn't to be, bringing the ball out of defence he was tackled recklessly by Kevin Maguire a young player himself with QPR at the time. His knee shattered, and medicine not being at the level it is now eventually he called time on his career and retrained as a physio himself, starting at West Brom then eventually moving to the States. Its worth noting that Maguire never recovered from that tackle either. Footballs a contact sport and injuries happen, was it reckless yes most definatley did he mean it? No he didn't. The fall out from it hindered his own development as well as Dannys and thats a shame. Two careers destroyed in an instant.

Danny Thomas is always in my team of the 80's and he is always in my greatest Spurs team of all time. His was a talent that went unfulfilled, he could and should have been one the best right backs we ever had and also one of the best the country ever produced. He was that good. In a day without wall to wall TV coverage he perhaps has become a forgotten player to the newer generation of Spurs fans.

To those who were lucky enough to see him play? There will always only be 'One Danny Thomas'.