“I love you all” - Dele’s message to Spurs fans on his N17 return

It was an ‘emotional' return to north London on Sunday afternoon for Dele.

A maverick on the pitch for us between 2015 and 2022, Dele epitomises the phrase ‘fan favourite’.

A player with a flick, a trick, an overhead kick, he was so Spurs. Enjoying seven glorious years in N17, he was adored by the Spurs faithful, and he adored them just as much - something which was so clear to see as he reunited with them at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday, telling our supporters that they will forever be his family.

“I think the only word I can use is emotional,” he said during half-time when asked to summarise his feelings as he walked back onto the pitch where he once dazzled.

“It's been a while, and I hope you guys missed me just as much as I missed you. I think a lot has happened in both of our journeys since I left, but we're back together now, and I think you guys will be my family for the rest of my life.

“In all my time here at Spurs, I tried to express myself, have fun, and play the way I enjoy playing football. I tried to entertain you guys, and hopefully I did that.”

Dele amassed 269 appearances in all competitions in our colours, scoring 67 goals and providing 59 assists in one of the most-revered forward lines in our history.

The attack-minded player was a key member of the team that recorded our best-ever Premier League finish, coming second in the 2016/17 season, and that reached the Champions League final in 2019, providing Lucas Moura with the away-goals winner in our semi-final against Ajax.

Talking about that remarkable team, Dele made known that it was a joint effort between the players, staff, and our supporters that created so many memories.

“We were a family,” he declared, before telling our supporters that he was honoured to be back with the 12th member of that fondly-remembered team.

“We felt like we gave it everything, and the fans really pushed us on and helped us to win each game. It happened over and over again.

“It was a very special team. I met some people that I'll call friends and family for life, from the players to the staff, to even some of the fans. It was very special.”

Dele will always be remembered for the flair and passion he showed in our shirt - he was quintessentially Spurs. During the interview, he was reminded of his spectacular goal at Selhurst Park in 2016 and his performances against Spanish giants Real Madrid in the Champions League - he scored twice at Wembley as we defeated the then all-conquering Los Blancos 3-1 in November, 2017. 

Over his time in north London, he was twice named as the PFA’s Young Player of the Year (2015/16 and 2016/17) while he also earned a place in the PFA Team of the Year in both of those campaigns.

He also made a mark internationally whilst at Spurs, playing 37 times for England, which included scoring in England’s run to the World Cup semi-finals in 2018.

In January 2022, Dele’s spell in Lilywhite came to an end, moving north to Everton, where he made 13 appearances, before joining Besiktas. He most recently played for Serie A side Como in March, 2025.

Before returning to the stands for the second half, Dele left our supporters with the following message: 

“There are no words to describe how you guys make me feel. No matter where I am in the world, you always show me incredible love and support. In every continent of the world, wherever I've been, if I meet a Tottenham fan, it's always love.

“I just want you to know that I love you guys just as much as you love me. Hopefully, my entertainment on the pitch was good, and you could see the fight and passion that I have.

“I can't wait to be back out on the pitch playing, hopefully it's not too long now. I love you all.”