Top 10 players to play for both Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur

This is one of the most heated derbies in England.

The football community has witnessed many great rivalries. The El Clasico, the Manchester Derby and several others are examples of such rivalries. The North London derby between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur is one of the biggest rivalries in English football. Many legendary players have graced these clubs but there are a handful, who have played for both. Since the list only includes senior players, the exclusion of Harry Kane is imminent since he has played at academy level for Arsenal.

Let's take a look at the top 10 players who have played for both Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.

10. Laurie Brown

Brown is the first player in history to play for both Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur. The Gunners signed Laurie Brown in 1961. Laurie Brown played as a centre forward, making 109 appearances. At that time, Arsenal weren't as successful or as good as Tottenham Hotspur.

After two and a half seasons, Arsenal sold him to Tottenham Hotspur in a controversial move. Laurie Brown failed to make an impact at Spurs as well. The centre forward was dropped after his first nine games. He reappeared in his second season, but only until Mike England replaced him.

9. Emmanuel Adebayor

Arsenal signed Emmanuel Adebayor in January 2006. Emmanuel is not very famous or liked amongst both Arsenal and Spurs fans. However he has definitely succeeded at both clubs. Overall, Emmanuel made 104 appearances for Arsenal, scoring 47 goals. He was named in the PFA Team of the Season (2007-2008).

After his saga with Arsenal ended, many clubs showed interest in him. Adebayor played at Manchester City and for Real Madrid on loan before joining Tottenham Hotspur. Adebayor finished as the league top-scorer in 2011-2012, scoring 18 goals. Overall, Adebayor scored 18 goals in 59 appearances for Tottenham.

8. Jimmy Brain

Brain spent a year in Arsenal's reserve side before making it to the main team. Jimmy Brain was an exemplary striker and an Arsenal legend. He was the first player to score 100 goals for Arsenal. Interestingly, Jimmy scored a goal on his debut against rivals Tottenham Hotspur. Jimmy Brain was also the club's top-scorer for four consecutive seasons. Overall, Jimmy scored 125 goals in 204 appearances, making him Arsenal's fifth joint top-scorer.

After his very successful stint at Arsenal, Jimmy's age started to catch up with him. Because of increasing competition in the game, Brain had to join rivals Tottenham Hotspur. Jimmy only scored 10 goals in 47 appearances.

7. David Jenkins

Jenkins joined Arsenal in 1963. David was a very talented winger and showed lots of promise. He made his league debut for Arsenal in 1967 against West Ham. Jenkins suffered an injury in the 1968 League Cup Final against Leeds. This resulted in him failing to secure a position in the first team. It wasn't until the 1969 season where David made 14 appearances, scoring three goals.

David did not make much of an impact at Tottenham or at Arsenal. This was mainly due to the lack of opportunities.

6. Clive Allen

The forward has played at many different clubs in his career. Clive started his career with QPR, where he scored 32 goals in 49 appearances. After this successful stint, he joined Arsenal. His story with the Gunners is rather bitter. Clive did not play a single competitive match but only played three pre-season games.

Clive then went on to join Tottenham Hotspur after a great run at Crystal Palace. Allen scored 60 goals in 105 appearances for Tottenham. He scored 33 league goals in the 1986-1987 season. In that same season itself, he also won the PFA Player Of The Year Award.

Also Read: Arsenal vs Tottenham Hotspur: Head-to-Head record

5. Jimmy Robertson

Robertson is more a Tottenham Hotspur legend than an Arsenal one. Jimmy succeeded quite well at Tottenham, scoring 31 goals in 181 appearances. He also scored a crucial goal in the 1967 FA Cup Final victory against Chelsea.

In 1981, Jimmy Robertson made a swap with David Jenkins and joined Arsenal. He failed to succeed at Arsenal, scoring only eight goals in 59 appearances. Jimmy is one of the only two players to score for both sides in the North London derby. After the 1969-70 season, Jimmy Robertson left Arsenal to join Ipswich Town.

4. Willie Young

The tall intimidating centre-back 'Big Willie' made his name at Aberdeen before joining Tottenham Hotspur. Willie made 187 appearances for Aberdeen between 1970 and 1975. Tottenham Hotspur signed him in 1975, where he made 54 appearances over two seasons.

After his short run at Spurs, Young joined Arsenal. At Arsenal, Willie quickly became a first team player. Young played in all of the Gunners trio of FA Cup finals. Willie was a first choice centre-back for the Gunners until the 1981-82 season. Willie Young flourished at Arsenal, making 237 appearances and scoring 19 goals.

3. William Gallas

Gallas has had his share of playing at Chelsea, Arsenal and Spurs. He forced his way out of Chelsea and joined Arsenal in 2006. The deal involved a swap which brought Ashley Cole to Chelsea. William signed a four-year contract with Arsenal. Gallas donned the recently vacated No 10 (previously worn by Dennis Bergkamp). It was rather odd that a centre-back was wearing the number 10; however Gallas did well at Arsenal. He made 112 appearances for Arsenal. In 2010 , Arsenal were forced to sell Gallas because of unreasonable contractual demands.

After leaving Arsenal, William joined Tottenham Hotspur. Gallas captained Spurs as well, before shifting to Australia.

2. Sol Campbell

Campbell used to be a Spurs fan's favorite before he joined Arsenal. Born in East London, Sol began his career with Tottenham Hotspur. He spent nine years at Spurs where he flourished. Sol Campbell made a commendable name and reputation with Spurs and became one of the best defenders in England.

This led to him joining Arsenal in 2001 on a free transfer. The Spurs fanbase definitely felt disappointed, however, Campbell won a lot at Arsenal. Campbell won two Premier League titles, and two FA Cup titles. Sol Campbell is more famously known for being a part of the '2003-04 Invincibles'.

1. Pat Jennings

The only legend in this list who is an iconic player for both Spurs and Arsenal. Pat is an exemplary and iconic player for both Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal.

The legendary goalkeeper has made over 1000 professional appearances. Pat Jennings has made 571 appearances for Spurs. In this period, Pat won the League Cup, FA Cup and UEFA Cup. He was the first goalkeeper to win the PFA Goalkeeper Of The Year Award along with Peter Shilton.

When Spurs foresaw the end of his career, they sold him to Arsenal. However Pat proved them wrong and quickly made it to the first team. He went on to play for Arsenal for over seven years. He helped the Gunners reach four cup finals in three consecutive years. Overall, Pat made 327 appearances for The Gunners .