It's now just over 40 years since Spurs 'scooped the world' by signing two members of Argentina's 1978 World Cup-winning squad - Ossie Ardiles and Ricky Villa.
How the pair made their mark!
Ricky famously scored his solo goal in the 1981 FA Cup Final replay at Wembley, helping make 'Ossie's Dream' come true by landing the trophy - 'Ossie's Dream' the title of the Chas & Dave track that will forever be linked to the midfield maestro.
One of our all-time greats, Ossie went on to make 311 appearances and score 25 goals between 1978-1988, helping us reach the final of the 1982 FA Cup (he didn't play in the final) and lift the UEFA Cup in 1984.
Capped 53 times by Argentina, Ossie moved into management at the end of his playing career, initially as player/manager at Swindon before spells at Newcastle and West Brom and then a return to Spurs in 1993. He later had success in Japan, where he won the J-League, Emperor's Cup and Nabisco Cup.
Now a Club Ambassador, Ossie has represented the Club in Asia, Australia and America and is as popular as ever as a matchday host.
Here is Ossie's Spurs life in pictures...
Presentation at White Hart Lane after signing for the Club, 1978 - Ossie: "That was the presentation in 1978 when I arrived at Spurs with Ricky. We didn’t have training or anything like that. Keith (Burkinshaw) was there. It’s incredible really, 40 years ago we won the World Cup and then arrived here at Tottenham. I started a great adventure with Ricky and I’m still here. My life changed completely in a very nice way."
Reading the local headlines in the Spurs Shop, presentation day, 1978 - Ossie: "That was the same day. Big news! That was in the Club Shop. It was exciting times for us in a new country. I knew a lot about England and a lot about London but it’s completely different coming to live here."
Ticker-tape welcome for Ossie and Ricky's first home game against Villa, August 1978 - Ossie: "That was our first home game. The ticker tape surprised me, I wasn’t expecting that."
Ossie's first north London derby and a loss at home, December 1978 - Ossie: "That was my first derby. I don’t really want to talk too much about that one. They had a pretty good team, Brady, Rix, Stapleton and we were in transition. It was tough. It was my first derby and I guess myself and Ricky were lucky, we didn’t understand so much about it. That was a blessing."
Interviewed pitchside ahead of the FA Cup Final, May 1981 - Ossie: "That’s Bob Wilson interviewing us at Wembley before the FA Cup Final in 1981. Lovely memories. The FA Cup was always very special for us and is very special for Tottenham."
FA Cup winners after the replay, including Ricky's solo goal, May, 1981 - Ossie: "It felt absolutely great. Going to Wembley ended up being a lot about me - ‘Ossie’s going to Wembley’ - but it was Ricky’s moment after what happened to him in the two matches. In the first, even he recognised he didn’t play that well but in the replay, he was magnificent and scored a wonderful, wonderful goal."
FA Cup-winning celebrations, Chanticleer restaurant, Tottenham, 1981 - Ossie: "That was after the replay. We have the trophy, the smiles. Great times. It was brilliant to win it."
FA Cup parade, Town Hall, May 1981 - Ossie: "It’s not something we did back home. We loved that. As I said, the FA Cup was always something special."
Argentina v Belgium, opening game of the World Cup, 1982 - Ossie: "That’s the 1982 World Cup with Diego Maradona. It’s the first game of the tournament against Belgium at the Nou Camp in Barcelona. The stadium was open then, different from how it looks now. We were the holders, all the attention was on us, we had a great team. It wasn’t a good tournament in the end."
UEFA Cup Final, second leg v Anderlecht, White Hart Lane, May 1984 - Ossie: "I hit the crossbar. Imagine if it ended 1-0, that would have been a nightmare, but I was lucky because straight after that Micky Hazard crossed and Graham Roberts scored (to make it 1-1 and level on aggregate). I guess we could call it an assist! I was so happy to be playing, but on the other hand, I knew I was struggling with an injury." We went on to lift the trophy on penalties.
Ossie with the UEFA Cup, White Hart Lane, 1984 - Ossie: "I gave my medal to Steve Perryman because he played every game apart from the final. He really deserved it and he didn’t have a medal. I said to Steve ‘you deserve it much more than me’. To this day. I’m asking him to give it back but he doesn’t want to know!"
Ossie's testimonial, White Hart Lane, May 1986 - Ossie: "That’s Gary Mabbutt, Clive Allen and my son Pablo with Diego Maradona. A wonderful night."
Photoshoot before the FA Cup semi-final against Watford, April 1987 - Ossie: "I'm looking a little more mature! We won that semi-final against Watford and to this day, I don’t know how we lost the final (3-2 against Coventry). We had a wonderful team and that team needed and deserved to win a trophy. Glenn (Hoddle) immediately moved to Monaco after that. I just have a feeling of what might have been if we’d won that final..."
Into management at Swindon Town, 1989 - Ossie: "I found the transition from player to manager brilliant, great. It wasn’t really something I’d thought about doing until it happened. The offer came from Swindon not just to play, but to be player-manager. I only really managed though. I think I played two games, then I sacked myself as a player! It was a natural transition."
Manager of Spurs and the arrival of Jurgen Klinsmann, July 1994 - Ossie: "Signing Jurgen, brilliant. He’s a great, great guy and we are still friends to this day. This is a lovely picture but I wish I had a better shirt and tie on! Jurgen is laughing, but he’s laughing at my shirt and tie. What a player, so professional, a super, super player."
A success as manager in Japan, 1996-2005 - Ossie: "I had a great time in Japan and spent eight years out there all together and won every single competition. It was very successful. Arsene Wenger was there – he left Japan to join Arsenal. I thought if I continued to do well perhaps it would be my passport back to managing in England, but I didn’t. Anyway..."
Signing autographs as Club Ambassador in Sydney, May 2015 - Ossie: "It was brilliant in Australia. I just didn’t expect the crowds. There were 70,000 fans there that night. It was a great experience, I loved it."
All smiles with Justin Edinburgh ahead of our League Cup tie against Gillingham, White Hart Lane, September 2016 - Ossie: "Justin Edinburgh had just turned up with Gillingham for a League Cup game. I can’t remember what I’d just said – he seems to find it funny though!"
Ossie and Ricky at the Lane, 2017 - Ossie: "Yes, back together at White Hart Lane, that must be one of the last times we were together pitchside at the stadium."
The Lane Finale, May 2017 - Ossie: "I was at the Finale with the son of a friend of mine from the 125 Club. It’s a brilliant picture and to be involved in the Finale was something special, a special day."
Ossie with Diego Maradona at Wembley, 2018 - Ossie: "I was translating for Maradona throughout the day. He talks in such an Argentinian way, like Cockney in London!"
Presentation to John Motson on the occasion of the commentator's last Spurs home game, 2018 - Ossie: "This was John’s last time commentating on a home Spurs match. He’d been there from the start with me, commentating on so many games. It just made sense to be there again at his last game."
Presentation to fellow World Cup winner Hugo Lloris before the game against Fulham at Wembley, August 2018 - Ossie: "Congratulations to Hugo. It's a dream, a fairytale to win the World Cup. When you start playing football you want play for the reserves, then the first team, then the national team, then you want to play in a World Cup and then you want to win it. All this happened in a short period of time for Ricky and me. It was simply great."
