Revisiting Spurs’ first starting XI under Daniel Levy: Booth, Thelwell…

Cristian Romero or Alton Thelwell? Harry Kane or Andy Booth? Daniel Levy has overseen big changes at Tottenham Hotspur, and mostly for the better.

Levy is the Premier League’s longest-serving chairman, having been in the Tottenham hotseat since February 2001.

A lot has changed at the club since then. And given that Spurs finished 12th in 2000–01, things have certainly improved.

Before Tottenham fans get too sad about the downturn over the past couple of weeks, they should remember how they lined up the week after Levy replaced Alan Sugar.

That team, which lost 2-1 to Derby on March 3, 2001, was significantly less glamorous than today’s line-up. It wasn’t very effective either. Going into the match in 13th place, they could only score a consolation through a Taribo West own goal.

Manager George Graham called the performance “lacklustre”. BBC Sport, with less skin in the game, called it “woeful”. Needless to say, this team did not reach a Champions League final.

One of the better members of the 2001 side, goalkeeper Sullivan never won a World Cup like Hugo Lloris, but he would have kept Pierluigi Gollini out of the team.

Sullivan had just turned 31 when Levy arrived, but he went on to play for various clubs until he was 43. Nowadays he serves as Hull’s Head of Academy Goalkeeping.

In February 2001, Young was still youthful, but Levy chose to sell him to Charlton that summer.

He played almost his whole career in the Premier League, blemishing his record with a solitary Championship appearance for QPR.

Post-retirement he works as a football consultant for a management agency.

Irishman Doherty spent four years at Tottenham, occasionally playing as a (not great) striker, and he was enjoying his breakout season when Levy ousted