Tottenham Hotspur have seen a host of talent grace the club, but their lack of competitiveness at the top level often sees them exit before they can help transform the culture.
As such, it has been 15 years now since they last won a major honour, earning widespread ridicule from rival fans.
What makes things even more frustrating is the success these players often go on to have at other clubs, suggesting that within the correct environment, they could have contributed massively to instead earning silverware in north London.
One such example that stands out is Dimitar Berbatov, who joined with a big reputation from the Bundesliga as a skilful and expressive forward who could win games on his own.
Whilst they would bare witness to this, as he played a key role in that aforementioned EFL Cup win, what he would go on to accomplish at Manchester United was unprecedented.
Whilst they made a big profit, effectively striking gold with the initial deal, it arguably offers a marker of what could have been had they matched his ambitions.
How good was Dimitar Berbatov?
Standing at 6 foot 2, the Bulgarian forward arguably remained one of the most gifted players with the ball at his feet despite his physique. It was this combination that made him so unstoppable when on form, and it was his 21 goals and nine assists in his final season at Bayer Leverkusen that spurred Spurs to unload £10.9m on him.
A further 38 goal contributions in his debut season would announce him in English football, which he would maintain the campaign following with 37 goal contributions.
His quality was frightening, and he threatened to spearhead the Lilywhites to further success with a maverick play style that often made him unplayable.
The only issue was that during that time they had finished fifth and 11th, whilst the Red Devils had won the league both years. So when Sir Alex Ferguson came calling, with the financial backing only the top team in the country could have, they were powerless.
He signed for a £30.75m fee, marking a sensational 182% profit across just two years; but given how instrumental he had become, this fee was arguably a bargain. Journalist Matt Jackson summarised this move, and explained why the Manchester outfit had swooped for the lackadaisical magician: "He was enigmatic, drifted about, and could come up with magic from nowhere."
As he had to become accustomed to no longer being the main man at Old Trafford his numbers somewhat suffered, yet he still posted 56 goals and 27 assists in 149 games as he would win two Premier League titles and another two EFL Cups.
The 78-cap star would be lauded by Ferguson for his contribution to this period too, as the legendary Scotsman claimed: "I think we are being rewarded this season for our confidence in a player who has a touch of genius.”
Having hit the jackpot financially, to lose a player of this immeasurable quality is always going to be remembered with disdain and frustration as it remains one of the great 'what could have been' stories for the club.
