David Seaman enjoyed a glittering career with Arsenal between 1990 and 2003, but his playing journey would have been very different were it not for the promise of a new car stopping him from leaving QPR for Spurs back in his early career.
As Arsenal‘s number-one goalkeeper for more than a decade, Seaman was part of the Gunners’ squad that won three Premier League titles and four FA Cups under Arsene Wenger.
Seaman became synonymous with the club and was rightly regarded as one of the best keepers in the Premier League.
He would earn 75 caps for England, representing the Three Lions at four major tournaments, from Euro 96 to the 2002 World Cup.
Seaman may be a beloved Gunners legend, but he caused quite the stir back in 2019, when he revealed he would like to see Tottenham win the Champions League over Liverpool (Daily Mail).
Seaman rejected Spurs because of a new car
It turns out Seaman could have actually signed for the Lilywhites before his big move to Arsenal, but he decided to stay with QPR because he was offered a brand-new Ford Cosworth.
Speaking to the Fuelling Around podcast, Seaman said: “When I was at QPR the club was sponsored by Ford. All the players got a club car. Jim Smith was the manager and he said: ‘We’ve got this new deal, you can choose any Ford car you want up to a Sierra.’ All the lads were getting Escorts and Sierras.
“I got a Sierra estate because I was into fishing. It was chocolate brown, I don’t know why. The lads were taking the mickey. All the lads were whizzing around and I was like, ‘I don’t care, all my fishing gear fits in the back of that.’ All of a sudden Jim Smith pulls me in training and said: ‘Dave, I’ve got some good news and some bad news… Tottenham want to buy you…. but I don’t have to sell you.'”
As a sweetener, Seaman got an upgrade on his car. “[Smith] said: ‘To keep you happy I’ll let you choose any car that’s done by Ford.’ He thought I’d get a nicer Sierra or a Granada… [But] I knew they were making Cosworths. A week later Jim pulls me: ‘What’s this bloody car you’ve ordered?’ I said ‘well you said any Ford.’ The lads were going mad. ‘How come you get that car and we’ve got Sierras and Escorts to drive around in?'”
Spurs Web Opinion
I don’t think you could find a more quintessentially ’90s story from a player who epitomises the vibe of the era so much. It’s a shame he didn’t sign for Spurs, to be fair, we could’ve done with him during that era.
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