Vinny Samways won the FA Cup with Tottenham and saved them from relegation before battling Zinedine Zidane and Xavi in LaLiga and beating Real Madrid and Barcelona

Even those who we behold as legends of game haven't been able to manage this feat, modern greats like Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard and John Terry.

Former Tottenham and Everton midfielder Samways did it all while not even playing for one of the traditional giants of European football.

At a time when English footballers remained in the Premier League and, mostly, didn't choose to explore what life in Spain, Germany, Italy, and France had to offer, he opted to blaze a trail and head abroad.

When he left these shores, it was Las Palmas who took him in, appreciating a left-footed ball-playing midfielder a lot more than English sides who still tended to play direct football.

Having his football education at Tottenham in the mid-1980s, it's perhaps no surprise this was the path for Samways.

When you're learning from World Cup winner Ossie Ardiles and Glenn Hoddle, one of English silkiest ever players, you're off to a great start.

Samways told talkSPORT: "For me it was a marvelous experience because if you're going to learn from midfield players, to be able to look up to those two and train with those two, you're not going too far wrong there.

"You can only improve because not only were they two exceptional footballers but they were very nice guys who would always take time to talk to you and encourage you. I was very fortunate in that aspect.

"They would encourage me to be myself and especially be brave on the ball. When you're a ball-playing person you've got to be expected to make mistakes because you've got to take chances."

Ardiles would be a key influence for the Bethnal Green-born ace, and the Argentine was pivotal for him when he became Spurs boss in 1993.

Samways continued: "He was such a humble guy when you think he came over with Ricky Villa to the UK when it was very unheard for foreigners to come into the game because it was totally different from what they were used to.

"Both came in as World Cup winners and he [Ardiles] obviously took a shine to me and then when he became manager he just encouraged me so much, he gave me so much confidence."

After breaking into the Tottenham team in the late 1980s, having supported the club his whole life, some of Samways' biggest moments would come against rivals Arsenal.

A beautiful long range strike in a 2-1 win in 1989 'was the icing on the cake' having made it at Spurs.