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It seems that Tottenham Hotspur fans have always complained about the
lack of opportunities given to talented youngsters at White Hart Lane,
so there was great excitement when Terry Venables secured the first
professional signature of Nick Barmby in April 1991. A graduate of the
FA's National School of Excellence, Hull-born Barmby was one of the most
sought-after young players in the country. Able to play up front or
wide and particularly effective coming in from the left, he quickly
moved through the youth and reserve teams and made his senior debut at
Sheffield Wednesday on 27 September 1992, aged just 18.
Sharp of
mind and fleet of foot, Barmby was adept at picking out the crucial
final pass in the attacking third. He also had the tenacity to go with
the subtlety, confounding those critics who felt he was too small to
succeed in the hustle and bustle of the Premier League. His first senior
goal came in only his third appearance, a 2-2 draw at home to
Middlesbrough. In the very next game, the youngster announced himself to
the country in front of the Sky cameras, scoring against Wimbledon with
what would become a trademark diving header. With six goals in 22
league appearances and three more in Spurs' run to the FA Cup
semi-finals, Nick established himself as one of the leading lights of a
team packed with youth and energy. After the departures of Lineker and
Gascoigne, after the era of Irving Scholar and the shadow of financial
ruin, here was hope for a bright future.
Yet the green shoots of
promise were stunted early in 1993-94 when an injury to Teddy Sheringham
left the team without a focal point. Spurs' over-reliance on the
striker was harshly exposed as they plummeted from the top five in the
first quarter of the season to find themselves flirting with relegation.
Much of the quality that was shown came from Barmby, who continued to
perform well in difficult circumstances. He chipped in with five goals
in 27 league appearances, and seven in all competitions, as Spurs
survived.
In 1994-95, Nick entered his most eventful period as a
Spurs player when he became part of Ossie Ardiles' fearsome new
attacking force, along with Anderton, Sheringham and new signings Jurgen
Klinsmann and Ilie Dumitrescu. Nicknamed the 'Famous Five', the quintet
enjoyed early success with their relentless movement and intelligent
interplay. Four of them were on target in a thrilling 4-3 opening day
win at Sheffield Wednesday, with Barmby among the scorers. Although
their start had been spectacular, the team's top-heavy system was
eventually exposed by counter-attacking opponents and the dip in results
that followed would ultimately cost Ardiles his job. New manager Gerry
Francis reverted to a more sensible 4-4-2, with Barmby deployed on the
left side of midfield. Nick flourished amid the world class talent,
never more so than when he capped a fine performance against champions
elect Blackburn Rovers in February with a thumping header to clinch a
3-1 win. With nine goals in the league - 11 in all competitions - and a
second FA Cup semi-final appearance in three years, it proved to be
Barmby's most productive season at Spurs. He once again attracted the
attention of Terry Venables, earning his first full England cap in a
friendly against Uruguay in March 1995.
Although Barmby's
football was flourishing, he was finding it difficult to settle in
London. When newly promoted Middlesbrough made an approach at the end of
the season, Nick and his wife couldn't turn down the opportunity to
move closer to home. Reluctantly, and to the great consternation of the
fans, Spurs allowed him to leave for £5.25m in August 1995. Even though
the fee represented great business for a player who had cost nothing, it
offered little consolation to supporters who saw another bright talent
slip through the club's fingers. (Alex Voskou)
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