Spurs fans have flocked to a post from Alasdair Gold regarding former Spurs defender Dorian Dervite.
The Football.london journalist shared an article featuring an interview with the Frenchman about his time with the North London club. He discusses how he signed for the North London club as an 18-year-old and his four years with the Lilywhites, which included a long-term injury and eventually falling-out over his contract with chairman Daniel Levy, which eventually led to his departure.
In total, the French defender would make just one senior appearance for Spurs in the 2006/07 season and has gone on to make a career elsewhere – most notably with Charlton Athletic and Bolton Wanderers (per Transfermarkt).
Did Levy cost Dervite a career with Spurs?
Yes
No
A sample of tweets from Spurs fans discussing Dervite can be seen below.
Dorian was the best young cb I ever saw at Spurs. At 17 he could head the ball better than anyone. I went to matches with his father as I reported on the youth and reserve games he got in touch. When the trouble with Levy came up I tried to get him to stay, but it was too late.
— Ray Lo (@RayLo18) May 9, 2020
The chairman making the managers decisions for him. Who’d have thought.
— Paul O Keefe (@pokeefe1) May 9, 2020
Remember being so excited by him as a prospect.
Would be interesting to see a Spurs wonderkid XI, the ones who really should’ve made it big. Dervitte, Caulker, Dixon et al
— Dean S.W (@Deano4x8) May 9, 2020
Such a shame. He was looking really good before he had that injury.
— Chris Willis (@chris_willis_uk) May 9, 2020
@chrispalace79 good read, levy being levy
— Bill Johnson (@Billski2100) May 9, 2020
Confirms what we all thought might be true. The manager has his hands tied at Spurs. Why he didn’t play this player that day could very well be a question for the chairman and not the manager.
— amal (@amalmukundan_) May 10, 2020
Some of these Spurs fans seem frustrated that Levy potentially cost Dervite a career with the club, however, his career following his injury seems to suggest that he may not have had what it takes to play regularly in the Premier League.
What do we think?
According to the article, ex-Spurs boss Harry Redknapp was keen to play Dervite but the fall-out with Levy led to his departure, so it is difficult to say where Dervite would be today if Redknapp had gotten his way rather than Levy.