ARDILES, Osvaldo Cesar (1978-91)
Position: Midfielder
Height: 5ft 6ins
Weight: 9st 10lbs
Born: Cordoba, Argentina, 3 August, 1952
Signed from Huracan (Argentina) July 1978
Transferred to Queens Park Rangers August 1988
Also played for: Red Star Cordoba, Cordoba Instituto, Belgrano, Huracan, Paris St Germain, Blackburn Rovers, Queens Park Rangers, Fort Lauderdale Strikers, Argentina
Spurs Record:
Debut: 19 August, 1978 v Nottingham Forest (FL) (a) drew 1-1
Appearances: League 222(16), FA Cup 32, League Cup 31(1), Europe 8(1)
Goals: League 16, FA Cup 4, League Cup 3, Europe 2
When Ossie Ardiles starred for Argentina as they won the World Cup in 1978, Spurs fans could only dream of what it would be like to have his fabulous talent in a team that had just returned to the First Division. Within two months the dream became reality and for the next 10 years Ardiles graced the white shirt with a distinction few have matched.
Ardiles’ signing was regarded as a major coup for Keith Burkinshaw but also something of a gamble. His ability was undoubted but some questioned whether an apparently frail midfielder could stand the rigours of English football. He soon proved nobody need have any fears on that score. The Latin flair was immediately apparent but so too was a willingness to work hard, support colleagues and accept the defensive responsibilities expected of all players in the hurly burly of the Football League.
Ardiles came into a team that was not yet of the highest calibre but with his ‘apprentice’ Glenn Hoddle beside him, provided the base around which Burkinshaw could construct a great team. In 1981 Ardiles won his first honour with us, the FA Cup, his eventual domination of the abrasive Gerry Gow as important to the victory as the glorious winning goal by compatriot Ricky Villa. Much of the pre-match hype around the game involved Ardiles and his ‘Ossie’s Dream’ song as the team collaborated with Chas and Dave to produce a cup final single – and the dream came true for the midfield maestro.
He collected a runners-up medal in the 1982 League Cup but missed the FA Cup Final due to events in the South Atlantic. Having returned to Argentina to prepare for the World Cup finals he was hopeful of being released for the final but the Falklands War intervened.
A patriotic man, Ardiles did not feel it wise to return to England once the conflict was over. He joined Paris St German on loan but things did not go well and within a few months he was back at White Hart Lane, welcomed home by Spurs fans, and football fans in general. But in his fourth game back he broke his shin, the first of a series of injuries that plagued the rest of his playing days. He did feature in our 1984 UEFA Cup success, coming off the bench in the second leg at White Hart Lane and he made another Wembley appearance in the 1987 FA Cup Final.
He left us in August, 1988, and played for Blackburn Rovers, Queens Park Rangers and Fort Lauderdale Strikers before making the expected move into management with Swindon Town, Newcastle United and West Bromwich Albion. He then returned here to his spiritual north London home with dreams of building a team that played football the way he had.
He set about the job with relish, signing the type of skilful players he believed would produce the flowing football he believed in and demanding his team play with a sense of freedom. His first season started well enough but when Teddy Sheringham was injured Ardiles had no adequate replacement. The football was still neat and based on skill not brawn, the build up play smooth but the end product was lacking. The season became one of fighting against the drop, an objective only achieved with victory at Oldham in the penultimate League game.
The following season, Ardiles brought in Ilie Dumitrescu, Gica Popescu and Jurgen Klinsmann, not just big names, but true international stars.
It began in a flurry of goals as Ardiles’ team of attacking talents gelled from the start. He believed in playing the ‘beautiful game’, a team loaded with offensive-minded players, outscoring the opposition. Going forward we could be unstoppable, but defensively we often fell short. The results were not good enough and ultimately, we parted ways with Ardiles.
His management career continued with something of a world tour as he coached in Mexico (Guadalajara), Japan (Shimizu S-Pulse, Yokohama F Marinos and Tokyo Verdy), Israel (Beitar Jerusalem), Argentina (Club Atletico Huracan) and Paraguay (Cerro Porteno).
Alongside Ricky Villa, he was inducted into our Hall of Fame in February 2008 and continues to work for us as a Club Ambassador.