In a season when Tottenham Hotspur broke a 17-year trophy-less curse, it is definitely hard to pick only five players as the most important from the whole campaign. Also, the inconsistency needs to be highlighted for a club that finished 17th in the league table with a record 22 losses, which makes my job even more challenging to pick a top-5.
From the exact definition of a roller-coaster of a season, Tottenham Hotspur ended up saving it at the very end, and that needs to be emphasized. At the same time, the overall campaign has to be valued for specific players, even though the ending wasn't as good as the ride itself. Therefore, as criteria, I tried to fit the perfect combination of consistency, longevity, and clutch factor for this top-5 2024/2025 Tottenham Hotspur player list:
Pedro Porro
Despite his defensive miscues here and there, Pedro Porro undoubtedly stepped up for Spurs in the 2024/2025 season. He not only improved his defensive numbers, which were proven by his incredible performance in Bilbao, but also continued to be one of Spurs' key offensive contributors.
Porro was the sixth player with more goal contributions this season, with 13, including goals and assists that took Tottenham to the ultimate glory of a European trophy. For instance, his goals against Eintracht Frankfurt and FK Bodø/Glimt in crucial moments of those respective knockout matches were vital for Spurs to win it all in the end. I will stand by this: the Spaniard continues proving that he is one of the most prolific right-backs in European football.
Micky van de Ven
Do I really need to say anything here? Only by the repetitive chants in San Mamés and the trophy parade, where Micky van de Ven's name was sung and celebrated in euphoria, did it become an obvious choice for me to put him on this list. In fact, I can still hear that song echoing in my ears as I write this piece.
Micky van de Ven was away for extended periods this season due to the recurrent injuries; however, every time he was on the pitch, you bet his presence was made noticed. His speed, motor, and technicality are the perfect combination for a modern-day center-back. And, of course, his crucial save against Man United in the final will forever be remembered by Spurs fans as the most significant moment of that match.
Dejan Kulusevski
Dejan Kulusevski did not have a stellar season ending due to injury issues. However, as I alluded to previously, consistency in a season where Spurs lacked consistency is a factor to be considered in this analysis. If it wasn't for Kulusevski's excellent form in the two-thirds of the season, what could have happened? Maybe we could have even more losses in the Prem, or struggled to qualify for the Europa League knockout rounds, guaranteeing a bye week.
Indeed, many people will not remember Kulusevski in the season's most memorable moment, as his crutches even prevented him from properly celebrating with his teammates when Sonny lifted that trophy. As it is very easy to only remind ourselves of the past few days of everlasting happiness, I will not forget what Kulusevski did this season. Even with an unlucky end to his campaign, he was still one of Spurs' lead goal contributors (21), only two behind the leader. Could you imagine if he were healthy all the way?
Brennan Johnson
JOHNSON AGAIN OLE, OLE! That was the other song I could hear the most from Spurs fans during the trophy parade in London, and for good reason. Brennan Johnson proudly accepted his "second-post finisher" role, which provided him with 22 goal contributions in all competitions for Spurs this season.
More importantly, despite suffering with abuses online, which made him deactivate his Instagram following the 1-nil North London Derby loss, he stayed strong. When Spurs needed him the most, though, he bounced back with a goal that guaranteed a 2-1 win against Coventry City for the EFL Cup at the last second. From that point on, Brennan thrived as the new generation Aaron Lennon, and scored likely one of the most important goals in Tottenham's history in Bilbao.
Dominic Solanke
It was pretty tough to pick five players for this list, but especially the last one. With some Spurs legends in the mix as well, I decided to give the props to Dominic Solanke. Not bad at all for his debut season in Lilywhite, as he summed 23 goal contributions in all competitions, leading the whole squad.
Solanke might have struggled initially, but he never stopped running while he was on the pitch, fighting for every ball like it was his last. His off-ball discipline and link-up play helped his teammates in many situations throughout the season, not factoring in his clutchness when things mattered the most. His penalty against Frankfurt away and his first score in Norway sealed Spurs' qualification in the quarters and semis, respectively, and opened the gateway for history in San Mamés.
Honorable Mentions: Son Heung-min & James Maddison
Leaving Sonny and Madders out of the list was incredibly difficult, and probably controversial for some people. Well, I said what I said, and, even so, I had to write at least a paragraph to highlight how special those two were. With 22 goal contributions each, both the captain and the vice-captain were key to Spurs' success this season, even though injuries and physical conditioning did not allow them to achieve stardom in the biggest moments. And, still, their hug at the final whistle exemplifies what this team means to them, and vice versa.