Ian Wright agreed with Gary Neville that one Tottenham Hotspur hero from the 1990s did surprise him with how good he was, insisting that he was brilliant at making the right pass at the right time.
It may surprise some to see Ian Wright laud a Spurs player he faced in seven North London derbies during his career, but that perhaps helps explain just how much admiration the former Arsenal striker had for someone he also played alongside four times for England.
Of course, the early Premier League years were not an easy time to be a Tottenham fan, with Spurs not finishing in the top six again until after the turn of the Millennium. But they did have some outstanding players along the way including the likes of Teddy Sheringham and Jurgen Klinsmann.
Darren Anderton had times during his career when he struggled with injury, but he was still a player who was directly involved in 110 goals in 351 games for Tottenham in all competitions. He also scored seven goals in 30 games for England, including one at the 1998 World Cup.
Ian Wright names 90s Tottenham hero who surprised him
Answering the question on Stick to Football about the players in their careers who surprised them, Gary Neville mentioned the winger, and Ian Wright was in full agreement.
“I’m going to name an England player that I played with, Darren Anderton,” Neville said.
“Wow,” was Wright’s reply.
“Played every single game for England with Terry Venables and me, his intelligence and his understanding of the game and his technical ability,” Neville added.
“His technical ability, his passing, he’s one of those he’d always pass the ball into the forward where it needs to be. Defenders there, bam, he’s one of them players where it comes naturally,” Wright said.
A player who rarely gets a mention
Anderton is one of those players who is never mentioned when Premier League legends are discussed, and you can understand why when you think about some of the names who have featured in the league.
But, when fit, he was such an important component of Tottenham’s team, perhaps going under the radar for many when the club had superstars like Klinsmann or David Ginola.
Obviously, it was always going to be someone who does not get huge credit if their quality was a surprise, so plenty of Tottenham fans will be delighted to see Anderton get a mention.
