Death of Spurs legend Gilzean

FORMER Scotland and Tottenham Hotspur striker Alan Gilzean has died at the age of 79 after a short illness.

Gilzean, who was part of the swaggering Spurs side of the 1960s, terrorising opposition defences alongside Jimmy Greaves, had been suffering from a brain tumour.

He helped the club win the FA Cup in 1967, the League Cup in 1971 and 1973, and the Uefa Cup in 1972.

Gilzean, who also played for Dundee, was capped 22 times by Scotland and was one of the most gifted forwards of his generation.

Greaves, his former strike partner, wrote yesterday: “Heartbreaking news today. The great Alan Gilzean passed away this morning. Sympathy to his family. He was a lovely man and obviously one of the all-time Spurs greats.”

Gilzean started his career with Dundee, where he scored 169 goals in 190 appearances. His excellent strike rate was one of the main contributors to the club winning the Scottish league in 1961-62 and then reaching the semi-finals of the European Cup the following season.

Tottenham signed him in December 1964 for a fee of stg£72,500 and he went on to score 93 goals for them in 343 games.

Gilzean spent 10 years in north London before hanging up his boots in 1974.