7 forgotten Tottenham academy graduates who became cult heroes elsewhere
Tottenham have produced plenty of world-class players over the years, although not all of them make the grade at the club.
For every Ledley King or Harry Kane, there are countless examples of other Spurs academy graduates who forge a career for themselves elsewhere.
We’ve looked through the players Spurs have produced in the past and have found seven of them who became cult heroes elsewhere.
Quinton Fortune
Fortune had the misfortune of joining Manchester United shortly after they won the treble, meaning there was little room in the first team for him.
Nevertheless, he proved to be useful to the club, providing cover all over the pitch. He spent seven years there, making 126 appearances and playing in three title-winning campaigns.
But it’s little known that the South African began his career at Spurs, spending four years in the youth team before making his name in Spain with Mallorca and Atletico Madrid.
Cameron Carter-Vickers
Formerly a perennial loanee, going out on loan to no fewer than seven clubs while on Tottenham’s books, it never looked as though USMNT international Carter-Vickers was ever going to break through and stake his claim at his parent club.
He never made a Premier League appearance for Spurs and his only opportunities came in the various cup competitions.
However, the defender made a big step up during his final loan away, playing a vital role as Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic took the Scottish title back from Rangers.
Carter-Vickers remains an important player at Parkhead and has helped Celtic cement their status as the dominant force in Scottish football.
Marcus Edwards
Another Englishman impressing abroad, Edwards made headlines back in 2022-23 by scoring against boyhood club Tottenham in the Champions League for Sporting Lisbon – and almost nabbed a Puskas-worthy second in the same match.
Away from the spotlight of the English media, the 26-year-old – once compared to Lionel Messi by Mauricio Pochettino – has quietly developed into a very good player out in Portugal.
There have been plenty of Premier League links over the past few years, including a move to Crystal Palace and a romantic return to Spurs, but a player of Edwards’ ability is too good to be sitting on an English bench.
Troy Parrott
Despite being highly rated by Spurs fans and coaches, Parrott was never able to break into the first team and his time with the club was spent out on a series of forgettable loans in the EFL.
But his final loan spell, in the Eredivise with Excelsior Rotterdam, was the striker’s lightbulb moment; despite their relegation, Parrott scored 17 goals and earned himself a permanent move to AZ Alkmaar.
The Republic of Ireland international hasn’t looked back since. Parrott scored four times in AZ’s 9-1 rout of Heerenveen in September 2024 and currently has 12 goals in 26 appearances for his new club.
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Adam Smith
A stalwart of Bournemouth’s rise from the nether regions of the Football League to part of the Premier League furniture, it sometimes feels like Smith will simply carry on playing forever.
But the defender actually started out at Spurs; his sole Premier League appearance came under Harry Redknapp in 2012 and Smith needed to cut his teeth at perennial second-tier menaces Leeds United and Millwall.
While few have yearned for the 33-year-old to return to Spurs over the previous decade, Smith’s career is testament to the belief that there is the right club for every player.
Kyle Walker-Peters
Walker-Peters was on the fringes of Tottenham’s first team throughout his time in north London, making 24 appearances in all competitions, including the Champions League.
In January 2020, the full-back joined Southampton on loan and made the move permanent that summer.
He has since established himself as a solid Premier League full-back, making over 140 appearances for the club and helping the Saints win promotion in May 2024.
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John Moncur
A proper throwback, even during his 90s pomp, Moncur became a cult hero at both Swindon and West Ham for his commitment, occasional flashes of brilliance and maverick personality.
But the midfielder came through the ranks at Spurs, making a handful of appearances before Glenn Hoddle bought him to Swindon in 1992.