I was just six years old. Stood in my hall way in the house I grew up in, on the phone to my Dad who was working in Glasgow that evening. I was still slightly too young to really understand the magnitude of the situation, but I knew what was going on, and I knew it wasn't good. 'We're going to lose, Dad!' I said. 'Don't worry, son, Gary Lineker will score in a minute'.
It's the 4th July 1990, and England are trailing to West Germany in the World Cup Semi Final. I hand the phone back to my Mum and walk back into the front room. Within seconds, Paul Parker is crossing the ball into the box, and Lineker is steering the ball into the bottom corner of the net. My Dad was right. And in that moment, the next few years of my life were shaped.
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On 3rd December, Tottenham are hosting 'An Evening With Gary Lineker', one of our most loved former players. I've always been a fan of Linekers, ever since that moment in Turin, however it was only recently that I began to think about quite why I hold Gary, and similarly Paul Gascoigne, in such high regard.
I often tell people that I was lucky enough to be at Wembley in 1991 to see Tottenham play Arsenal. Obviously, they always assume I mean the FA Cup Semi Final, but the truth is that I was at the Charity Shield later the same year in which the spoils were shared. It was the only time I ever saw Lineker play in the flesh, however it was that famous afternoon in April '91 that really had an impact on me. At this point I was still only 7 years old, but football was already a huge part of my life. Unlike the World Cup, I understood what Tottenham v Arsenal was about, I knew this was a big deal. That game single handedly taught me about the romance of football, the underdog story, why football is the beautiful game. Within 10 minutes, we had the game won, against all odds - and it just so happened that our superstar duo were the goal scorers. I do wonder if we'd been beaten 3-0 that day, whether my outlook on football might have changed. Sure, upsets would still have happened, stories would still be told, but if it hadn't happened to me, I might not have entered into some seemingly impossible tasks with the thinking that we just might come out on top because 'you never know - it's happened before'.
Lineker was a true finisher. Jokes are made about him rarely venturing outside the box, but with 67 goals in 105 games at Spurs, his perceived lack of workmanship could be forgiven. He had an ability to be in the right place at the right time. I had a VHS called 'Simply The Best'. It was all of Gary's goals for Spurs. Arguably, watching 67 toe pokes from 3 yards could bore even the most ardent football fan to tears, however his single mindedness, determination and, possibly most importantly, his turn of pace, made the video fascinating. He would see an opportunity and exploit it, yet little did we know that this ruthlessness would also lead to a successful career off the pitch. Few people would ever have the opportunity to captain their national side, as well as front the nations favourite football television program. Lineker was a natural finisher, but he's spent years honing his skills as a broadcaster and is now the Jewel in the BBCs sporting crown. It's credit to him that an episode of Match of the Day, or even The Sports Personality of the Year, isn't the same without him. Lineker himself once remarked that there was a lot of life after football, so to see him fronting up the Walkers advertising campaign, and being a team captain on 'They Think It's All Over' was not a surprise.
Lineker's highlight at Tottenham was winning the FA Cup in 1991, and he enjoyed arguably the best years of his career under Terry Venables. I remember watching him being substituted against Sweden in the European Championships in 1992 and feeling angry. How could Graham Taylor take off the man most likely to get us back into it?! If only Venables had been drafted into the England fold earlier, it could have cemented Lineker further as one of the all time greats. Putting his international career into some context, English football recently celebrated Wayne Rooney becoming the first player to score 50 goals at that level. He's been to three World Cup Finals and managed 1 goal. Lineker went to two and scored 10. It takes a special breed of player to make that level of difference, so frequently, at that standard. He wasn't just a big match player, but he certainly thrived on the occasion. It's telling that in almost every interview I've ever seen with Gary where the subject of the 1991 Cup Final is brought up, he's quick to remind the interviewer that he had a perfectly good goal chalked off that afternoon - he obviously craved the responsibility of scoring goals.
Lineker will forever has a special place in then hearts of the White Hart Lane faithful. He might not have had the longevity of Ledley, or the brilliance of Bale but he provided Tottenham with a genuinely world class striker, and a player who played football in completely the right way. He was determined, and ruthless but exceptionally fair. Never booked, but never let up. A true role model, delivering moments that would last a lifetime with honesty and integrity. We'll not see the likes of him again. So, from both 6 year old, and 32 year old me, for explaining to me how football should be played, for giving me moments that still make the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end, for ensuring I inherit and harbour the magic of the FA Cup at a time where the Premier League and Champions League are the only real prizes for English clubs to be concerned with - thank you Mr Lineker, I hope you enjoy your evening.
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saw nearly every game he played at home for us and about half of the aways. wonderful player, true hero. his first for us after about 5 blanks was Norwich away and we went crazy on that hot summer's day in the away end when he headed home Van den Hauwe's cross.
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