Tottenham Hotspur Release Statement as Club Legend Alan Gilzean Passes Away at 79

Tottenham Hotspur are a football club in mourning today after the sad news that club legend Alan Gilzean has passed away on the 8th of July at the age of 79.

Tottenham Hotspur are a football club in mourning today after the sad news that club legend Alan Gilzean has passed away on the 8th of July at the age of 79.

The Scottish former striker had recently been diagnosed with a brain tumour and has now died after a short battle with illness.

Spurs released a statement on Twitter shortly after news broke of Gilzean's passing.

Everyone at the Club is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of our legendary former striker Alan Gilzean. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this extremely difficult time. pic.twitter.com/uECwQ5mPUf

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) July 8, 2018

After joining Spurs in 1964 for a fee of £72,500, Gilzean scored 133 goals in 439 appearances for the club in a spell lasting a decade. While playing for Spurs, Gilzean lifted the FA Cup, two League Cups and, perhaps best of all, the 1972 UEFA Cup.

Gilzean's first club Dundee, who he signed for as a 17-year-old in 1957, also released a statement commemorating their former player.

Everyone at Dundee Football Club are devastated to learn that club legend Alan Gilzean passed away this morning after recently being diagnosed with a brain tumour.

The thoughts of everyone at the club are with Alan’s family and friends at this difficult time.

— Dundee Football Club (@DundeeFC) July 8, 2018

Gilzean's striking exploits at Dundee while still a young man are the stuff of legend around the club, with the forward scoring an astonishing 169 goals in 190 games and helping the Dee win the Scottish League championship in 1962.

After making his international debut in 1963, Gilzean went on to score 12 goals in 22 appearances for Scotland. After retiring from football following a short stint playing in South Africa for Highlands Park FC, Gilzean briefly took charge of Stevenage Athletic before stepping back from football entirely for many years, citing a dislike of the limelight. 

He went on to work at a transport company in Enfield for many years.

Julian Finney/GettyImages

However, Gilzean did briefly return to the public eye in 2017 to make an appearance at Tottenham's farewell event for White Hart Lane.