Four memorable Tottenham Hotspur pre-season moments

For many, preseason friendlies are diluted, low-intensity affairs with widespread substitutes and testimonial-esque atmospheres.

For many more, however, this summer's upcoming preseason tour gives us solace in the purgatory between this summer's feast of international football and the start of the 2024/25 season.

Illustrious wins such as the 2005 Peace Cup and 2019 Audi Cup and infamous training methods such as Antonio Conte puke-gate in 2022 may or not live long in the memory, but preseason has produced golden moments which most Spurs fans will remember fondly.

Steffen Freund's Only Tottenham Goal vs Stevenage (2001)

The German was a favourite amongst the terraces throughout his Spurs career in which he amassed over 100 Premier League appearances.

One thing Freund didn't achieve during his time at White Hart Lane was a competitive goal, and fans used to ironically plead with the tenacious midfielder to shoot whenever he found himself anywhere near the opposition box.

He did, however, manage to bag a goal in a pre-season friendly away to Stevenage in 2001. Whether or not it was over the line was deemed irrelevant and the strike was fondly remembered when Freund returned to Stevenage as Tottenham's Assistant Head Coach in 2012.

In 2003, the goal was voted number 21 in the 100 greatest Spurs moments by the fans (via Tottenham Hotspur), highlighting the power of pre-season.

Dele Alli Announcing Himself vs Real Madrid (2015)

Prior to the 2015 Audi Cup, many fans questioned whether or not Dele Alli could break into the Spurs team as a fresh faced 18 year-old. A big success in MK Dons in League One, yes, but could he mix it with the big boys?

From his first touch of a ball, that answer could have rightly been an emphatic yes as they don't come much bigger than facing a midfield containing Luka Modric and Toni Kroos.

At times he played with both, nutmegging the former, who called Alli "a little bugger" in the tunnel after the game (The Guardian).

After showing tenacity and skill beyond his years against Real, it wasn't long before Alli forced his way into Mauricio Pochettino's plans, going on to stake a claim to become one of the greatest young players in Premier League history.

The Lucas Mourenaissance vs Roma (2018)

Signed the previous January from PSG, Lucas Moura made a few bit-part appearances towards the end of the 2017/18 season but failed to make a real impact.

The following year, he had a point to prove heading into preseason with many questioning where the Brazilian fit into Pochettino's system and his suitability to the English game.

In a 4-1 win against Roma in California, Moura stole the headlines by showcasing his deceiving aerial ability and willingness to play through the middle as he popped up with two goals in the first half.

After a decent preseason, he managed to force himself into the first team at times during the 2018/19 season. We think he ended up doing alright?

Harry Kane From Halfway vs Juventus (2019)

The summer after the deflating Champions League defeat to Liverpool, Spurs embarked on an Asian tour for the International Champions Cup.

First up was Juventus in Singapore. After a relatively exciting game and the teams level at 2-2 in the 93rd minute, it seemed as though both sides were content in seeing the game out as they ramped up preparations for their respective seasons.

Enter Harry Kane. The ball broke to the striker just inside the Juve half and, spotting Wojciech Szczęsny off his line, Kane let fly before watching the ball sail over the former Arsenal goalkeeper's head and into the net, prompting celebrations and excitement not usually associated with July club football.

In the aftermath of the game, Kane labeled it "one of the best goals" of his career (via Reuters), although he has added some strikes to that portfolio since then.

With Spurs returning to Asia this summer, the class of 2024 will be hoping to make their mark this preseason and create unforgettable moments of their own ahead of the Premier League opener against Leicester City on August 19.