Gary Mabbutt

Gary Mabbutt is an English football legend who played over 600 times for Bristol City and Tottenham Hotspur at club level, as well as earned 16 caps at international level with England. Best-known for serving as club captain at Spurs for over a decade, Gary made 477 appearances in a 16 year spell at the club. He would memorably captain the club to FA Cup glory in 1991. He would also feature in the Spurs team that won the UEFA Cup in the 1983-84 season.

A central defender and midfielder by trade, Gary was an industrious and versatile professional with a high degree of game intelligence. His attention to detail on the pitch and off it marked him out as a top player, who was sought by clubs including Manchester United, Atletico Madrid and Liverpool FC. He stayed loyal to Spurs however, going down as a club legend in his time there. He is also an Ambassador for Tottenham Hotspur, where he is regularly asked to speak on behalf of the club as well as appear at supporter events and sporting events.

For his services to football, Gary was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 1994. Since hanging up his boots, he has become an ambassador for 2010 FIFA World Cup, where he worked on the Deloitte Street World Cup, training and encouraging children on the street to participate in the game. He has guest starred on Absolute Radio, talkSPORT and featured on football coverage for the BBC. He also appeared on TV show, This Is Your Life in 1999.

Today, he is an in demand after dinner football speaker able to expertly comment on the game, and recount the remarkable stories of his personal and professional life. From getting his toe eaten by a rat to his FA Cup heroics; his battle with type 1 diabetes to his experiences playing for England - Gary offers a multitude of entertaining anecdotes. In 2014, Gary proved his talent extended beyond the football field, featuring on the England's official World Cup song for Sport Relief in 2014. He would play the violin on the track that also featured Martin Keown, Carlton Palmer, Michael Owen, Gary Lineker and Gary Pallister. Again outside of football, Gary features as an Ambassador for the Prince's Trust, holds an honorary degree from the University of Bristol and is a patron for Diabetes UK, which famously saw him demonstrate an insulin injection on BBC's Blue Peter.