The left-back position has always been a murky area for Tottenham in recent years, and before the days of Danny Rose and Ben Davies, Benoit Assou-Ekotto was the man who made the role his own.
🎂 #HappyBirthday to former Tottenham Hotspur defender Beniot Assou-Ekotto.
🤝 Benoit became a first-team regular for Spurs, totalling 200 appearances across all competitions.
[@PremierLeague]#THFC #COYSpic.twitter.com/Iu1K5VI9hk
— Last Word On Spurs🎙 (@LastWordOnSpurs) March 24, 2020
The former Cameroonian international spent seven years with the north London club following a move in 2006 from RC Lens, with Assou-Ekotto going on to play over 200 games for Tottenham before moving back to France to play for Saint-Etienne in the final years of his career.
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A member of the 2008 League Cup-winning team, Assou-Ekotto’s time at Tottenham is best remembered for his personality on and off the pitch with the fullback often travelling to home games with the supporters as reported by The Evening Standard, and to celebrate his 36th birthday, a few Spurs fans on social media have been recalling what they thought of the defender’s time in the English capital.
Here’s what some Tottenham supporters had to say about Assou-Ekotto on Twitter…
@JamesBull86 What a player
— James Pople (@JamesPople7) March 24, 2020
A better left back than any we have at the club at the moment. Not loved by all of the fans but I always thought he was decent.
— 75 Retro (@75Retro) March 24, 2020
One of my all time favourite Spurs players, an absolute nutter
— David Carter (@DCfromN17) March 24, 2020
Disco Benny!! Loved him!
— Heather Jordan (@HeatherJordan3) March 24, 2020
Disco Benny underrated.
— 👑KingTroy👑 (@THFCYIDO) March 24, 2020
DONTCHA WISH YOUR GIRLFRIEND WAS B-A-E
— Nicholas Hilton (@nickhilton84) March 24, 2020
Assou-Ekotto retired from the game in 2018 with FC Metz.