There are few more fiery rivalries in England than Arsenal vs Tottenham and the latest instalment sees the two sides lock horns at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
If you play for Arsenal, you’re programmed to hate Tottenham and vice versa. However, some may have had split loyalties in the past.
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On signing for Tottenham, Matt Doherty addressed historic tweets of him declaring his love for Arsenal in a hilarious video. More high-profile Spurs players have been associated with Arsenal too.
Harry Kane is Spurs through and through, fans even describe him as ‘one of our own’. However, it could have all turned out very differently.
As a child he played for Arsenal’s academy. Images of him sporting a Gunners kit as a youngster frequently do the rounds on social media.
But the striker made it very clear that although he’s worn the kit of Spurs’ great rivals, his loyalties have always been with the Lilywhites.
“I wanted to wear a Tottenham kit but I don’t think that would have gone down to well,” Kane said. “I was eight-years-old. I was at Arsenal for a year and obviously I was a kid, I just wanted to play football.”
Kane was quizzed on the matter by lifelong Arsenal fan Piers Morgan in November 2020 but the Spurs star wasn’t being hooked into suggesting he’d have been at least curious to see what life with the Gunners is like.
“I played for Arsenal when I was younger and unfortunately for them they let me go. I have been at Tottenham since I was 11 years old and I’m reaping the rewards of that now,” he said.
Morgan then asked: “Are you itching to go back to your roots?”
To which Kane replied: “Absolutely not, no. [Tottenham are] in a good spot at the moment so I am happy.”
Kane isn’t the only player currently playing for Spurs to have had ties with Arsenal – Gareth Bale admitting he was very keen on them as a child.
“I used to like Arsenal a lot,” Bale said in an interview with Spanish radio station Cadena Ser in 2015.
“But when I moved to Tottenham of course I liked them less – but I really admired Thierry Henry and Patrick Viera, those kind of players. They were incredible.”
However, it’s not just Tottenham players who have had to address the uncomfortable subject, with Arsenal legend Dennis Bergkamp having to make it clear he had no soft spot for Spurs.
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The Dutchman admitted he was a huge admirer with Glenn Hoddle, arguably Spurs’ greatest ever player, but does NOT have any loyalty towards the club.
“I admired Glenn Hoddle. He stood out because of his technique: two feet, a soft touch, very precise,” Bergkamp told Four Four Two in 2011.
“I wasn’t a Tottenham fan; I was a Hoddle fan.”
At the end of the day, whatever the previous allegiances and fondness the current stars have – Serge Aurier has also been pictured in an Arsenal shirt – only one thing truly matters on north London derby day – winning.
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