The Tottenham old boys that can deny Leicester their title dreams

Could Adebayor, Sigurdsson or Defoe give Spurs a helping hand in the Premier League title race?

In a very unexpected title race, we look at five former Tottenham stars who can do their former club a huge favour.

League leaders Leicester are on the verge of making history, but they are anything but over the line yet, as Manchester United fans will testify, having seen their side incredibly chased down by Manchester City in 2012.

Spurs lead the chasing pack, and with a seven-point gap to make up, they'll need all the help they can get in their quest for a first Premier League crown themselves.

We look at five former Spurs stars who can lend a helping hand and help ruin the Foxes fairy tale.

Gylfi Sigurdsson

Gylfi Sigurdsson could be most influential in helping Spurs' title bid

After impressing on-loan with Swansea in 2011/12, Iceland international Gylfi Sigurdsson looked set to make his stay in south Wales permanent, before Spurs swooped in with a last-gasp bid of around £9m to secure his services.

The move didn't really pay off, and the attacking midfielder was soon back where his Premier League story started, and is arguably the Swans' most pivotal component in their fight for survival.

And, in helping his current side stay afloat, Sigurdsson could make his biggest contribution to Spurs - attempting to beat Leicester when Swansea travel to the King Power Stadium on April 24, live on Sky Sports.

The match is most likely one of Leicester's more winnable games, but until safety is mathematically certain, the Swans will not be pushovers, especially with Sigurdsson in their arsenal.

Jermain Defoe

Jermain Defoe scored 48 league goals for Tottenham

Sunderland's hopes of survival rest with Jermain Defoe. He has scored four times as many goals as anyone else in the Black Cats' squad, but the former Spurs striker can do serious damage to his former side's rivals simultaneously.

Sam Allardyce's side host Leicester on Super Sunday, where even a point will do Sunderland the world of good, and give the chasing pack hope that all is not lost.

Then, with Arsenal needing to earn maximum points to close the imposing gap at the top, Sunderland could effectively end Arsene Wenger's hopes of a late title tilt - pleasing Spurs fans in more ways than one - when the Black Cats welcome the Gunners to the Stadium of Light on April 24.

Michael Carrick

Michael Carrick could help his former club out

It is easy to forget that Michael Carrick played for two other top flight clubs before Manchester United, having plied his trade at Old Trafford for so long, but Carrick made the jump from promising youngster to potential Roy Keane successor while at White Hart Lane.

With Bastian Schweinsteiger injured, the United veteran is likely to be Louis van Gaal's midfield anchor as United toil for a top four spot.

And, in a strange turn of events, rather than being the team chasing the title, United welcome Leicester to Old Trafford on May 1, live on Sky Sports, with the visitors the ones gunning for the Premier League crown.

The Foxes have thrived through playing counter-attacking football, and Carrick's main task will be to dictate tempo so that Claudio Ranieri's side are stifled, thus opening the door for Spurs, should they still be in the race at that point.

Emmanuel Adebayor

Emmanuel Adebayor taunted Arsenal fans when at Man City

In a colourful career, Emmanuel Adebayor enjoyed some of his most fruitful years at White Hart Lane, before falling out of favour and being released in September.

Adebayor is now with struggling Crystal Palace, looking to resurrect his career, and having a notoriously fractious relationship with Arsenal fans since his departure in 2009, the enigmatic striker would love nothing more than to end the Gunners' title hopes.

He will get an opportunity to do just that when Palace travel to Arsenal on May 17, live on Sky Sports, helping the Eagles steer clear of the bottom three in the process.

Aaron Lennon

Aaron Lennon has enjoyed a revival at Everton

Having spent ten years in north London, falling out of favour at Spurs must have knocked Aaron Lennon's confidence a great deal, but he has done a fine job of rejuvenating himself at Everton.

With some talented attacking players at his disposal, Roberto Martinez's persistence with Lennon is testament to the England international's ability, and such quality could have a big say in the title race.

Leicester host the Toffees on May 7, live on Sky Sports, and with only two games to go after the King Power encounter, the fixture could well be make or break for the Foxes.

Everton have previous in this scenario, coming back from the dead to draw 4-4 at Old Trafford, paving the way for City to overtake their rivals, and Lennon's pace on the counter could help instigate a similar late revival for his former club.