Nine players and Judas have had the honour of captaining Tottenham Hotspur Football Club since the inauguration of the Premier League in 1992.
The latest, Cristian Romero, is the first Argentine to don the armband in Lilywhite, and, given the recency with which the privilege was bestowed upon him, won't be included in our ranking of modern Spurs skippers.
While behind-the-scenes access and the abundance of content means we know more about our players than ever before, I don't think we can assess our captains based on leadership alone. We've got to take into account Spurs's collective success during their respective reigns, as well as the form they displayed after the newfound responsibility was placed on their shoulders.
Here's our ranking of Tottenham's Premier League captains (from worst to best).
9. Sol Campbell (1998–2001)
You don't need an explanation.
8. Younes Kaboul (2014–15)
Mauricio Pochettino inherited a mess in 2014, and the departure of Michael Dawson meant a new skipper was in order.
Curiously, the new boss opted for central defender Younes Kaboul: a buccaneering, rampaging operator at times who didn't exactly scream "captain material".
Alas, Kaboul's stint with the armband was short-lived. Poch warned the Frenchman that the role didn't give him a divine right to be included in his starting XI, and Kaboul played just 11 times in the Premier League that season before earning a move to Sunderland the following summer.
7. Jamie Redknapp (2003–2005)
Before he was advertising Skechers and offering opinions few have any interest in hearing on Sky, Jamie Redknapp was a fine central midfielder whose career was derailed by injuries.
After an impressive 11 years with Liverpool, Redknapp joined the club in 2002 and was given the armband the following year. The Englishman had previously captained Liverpool and, all things considered, was a pretty good skipper, but poor availability means he ranks lowly on our list.
Redknapp appeared just 48 times for Spurs in three seasons, joining his dad at Southampton midway through the 2004/05 campaign. Even Daniel Levy was willing to let the club captain leave for free.
6. Teddy Sheringham (2001–03)
A hero of the 90s, Teddy Sheringham returned to N17 after winning it all with Manchester United.
His move to the all-conquering Red Devils did leave a bitter taste, but supporters did come back around to Teddy upon his return, and the striker was named captain after Judas's betrayal in 2001.
Sheringham is undoubtedly one of the greatest centre-forwards in Tottenham's history and although he was probably past his prime at the start of the 21st century, he still hit double-digit scoring figures during his two seasons of captaincy.
The club was mid-table fodder throughout his reign, though, and lost in the 2002 League Cup final to Blackburn Rovers.
5. Michael Dawson (2012–14)
The loud-mouth at the back had all the characteristics of an excellent captain, and Dawson had a tough act to follow when he took the armband in 2012. However, he'd had plenty of experience in the role under the previous regime.
The Englishman established himself at the heart of Spurs's defence during their most successful period in two decades, with his adoration for the club and willingness to put his body on the line in Lilywhite ensuring he was a fan's favourite at White Hart Lane.
His reign as captain was relatively brief, just two years, and ended after a tumultuous 2013/14 season.
4. Ledley King (2005–12)
You can't help but feel rather poignant about Ledley King. Tottenham's No. 26 had all the attributes to emerge alongside Rio Ferdinand and John Terry as England's best centre-back of his generation.
He wasn't too far off with only one knee!
King lasted seven years as captain, taking over from Redknapp in 2005, and Spurs started to blossom with the mightily talented defender as their leader. We've seen post-playing career the sort of bloke he is, and that's someone you'd absolutely love playing for.
However, availability throughout his stint he doesn't quite make our top three.
3. Hugo Lloris (2015–2023)
I'd go as far as saying Hugo Lloris is one of the most underrated captains of modern times.
Not only did he don the armband during an eight-year spell when Spurs emerged from pretenders to serious contenders, but he was the leader of a World Cup-winning France squad in 2018.
Okay, extra-curricular activities aren't considered in this ranking. Still, even though he was pretty reserved and capable of a wild blunder every now and then, Lloris exerted his authority when necessary and was described back in France, before his move to north London as “the person who talks the most sense”.
There's a reason he held his post for as long as he did under four different managers.
2. Son Heung-min (2023–2025)
The South Korean was often slandered by supporters and some pundits for not operating like a military man on the field.
Son Heung-min perhaps interpreted his responsibility differently to others, but there's no denying that Ange Postecoglou absolutely made the right choice when he stripped Lloris of the armband and gave it to one of the club's greatest-ever players in 2023.
Adored by everyone, Son led by example during his first season before enduring a trickier second year under Ange following the arrival of Dominic Solanke, which saw him play out wide. He may not have barked out orders and dished out relentless rollickings, but, ultimately, it was the squad's desire to satiate Son's silverware need that catapulted the club to Europa League glory to cap off his two-season stint as skipper.
For what he meant to Tottenham Hotspur and that crowning moment in Bilbao, Son is our runner-up.
1. Gary Mabbutt (1992–98)
Spurs were stuck in a cycle of mediocrity throughout the 90s, but Gary Mabbutt must be considered the club's finest captain of the Premier League era.
His success pre-dates the competition's inauguration, as the reserved centre-half led the club to a cathartic FA Cup triumph in 1991, having infamously scored an own goal in the final four years earlier. Mabbutt spent 16 years in north London and was captain for much of his time with the Lilywhites, enjoying the highs of Gazza's free-kick at Wembley and the nadirs that followed.
He went through it all with this club and is an immense character with an even greater heart. Mabbutt has been revered for his loyalty, with few doing more for Tottenham Hotspur than the classy defender.