Alan Gilzean

Dundee

Gilzean began his career with local side Coupar Angus Juniors, before signing provisional forms with Dundee in January 1956 as a 17-year-old amateur. He played once for their youth team Dundee Violet, but then played again for Coupar Angus while working as a despatch clerk for a carpet manufacturer in Perth. He signed professional forms with Dundee in February 1957, but then had a spell in Hampshire while he underwent National Service in the Royal Army Service Corps. Gilzean made his competitive debut for Dundee in August 1959, and then became a key part of a successful side. He scored 169 goals in 190 appearances for Dundee in the Scottish top flight as Dundee won the Scottish league championship in 1961–62 and reached the semi-finals of the 1962–63 European Cup. In 2009 Gilzean was one of the first inductees in the Dens Park club's Hall of fame.

Tottenham Hotspur

Gilzean joined Tottenham Hotspur in December 1964, moving for a transfer fee of £72,500. He made his first appearance for Tottenham a week later, in a home fixture against Everton. Gilzean enjoyed a glittering career as a Tottenham player, while he also changed his style of play from being the main goalscorer to being an intelligent and creative forward. He formed an effective goal-scoring partnership alongside crowd favourite Jimmy Greaves, and together they were referred to by fans as the "G-Men". A notable match he was involved in was the 4th round FA Cup in 1966 match against Burnley…

A prolific goalscorer during his time at Dundee, Gilzean would continue to be a prolific goalscorer at Tottenham while also providing chances for his strike partners Jimmy Greaves and Martin Chivers. Gilzean was a natural header of the ball and possessed great technique. Greaves described Gilzean as the finest player he ever played with and as a "blood brother". Many Tottenham supporters who watched him play in the 60's and 70's have compared 21st-century Tottenham forward Dimitar Berbatov to Gilzean.

Gilzean returned to England after his spell in South Africa, to become manager of Stevenage Athletic who he managed for one season from 1975 to 1976.

Gilzean stated, whilst playing, that he disliked football and had no intention of furthering his career after playing. He later worked for a transport company in Enfield, only a short distance from White Hart Lane. When journalist Hunter Davies surveyed the Tottenham Hotspur squad in 1972, Gilzean said that he was supportive of the Conservative Party. His son Ian also became a professional football player. Gilzean died on 8 July 2018, having been diagnosed as suffering from a brain tumour a few weeks earlier.