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With 2020 on the horizon it's time to look back at the decade that was for Tottenham Hotspur with the first in our end of decade series about the club.

The years from 2010 have brought four different managers at the helm with Harry Redknapp, Andre Villas-Boas and interim boss Tim Sherwood taking the reins before Mauricio Pochettino came along and propelled Spurs to four consecutive top four finishes and that historic Champions League final.

Pochettino takes up the bulk of the decade with his Tottenham tenure beginning in May 2014 but when it comes to choosing the best starting XI from across the decade there are plenty of players who took to the turf for all four managers who come into consideration.

First off, let's decide on the formation as Spurs have used plenty of the past decade as managers have tried to get the best out of certain players, but when it comes down to the one that suited the team best, it's been the 4-2-3-1 under Pochettino so we'll go with that for our decade's best XI.

Now for the names. We're going to name the team and then also put together the bench. Let's start with the man between the sticks.

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Goalkeepers

There's only one man who gets the job here. Heurelho Gomes was a great shot stopper and Brad Friedel a safe, experienced pair of hands, but Hugo Lloris has been the main man since 2012.

He might make the odd mistake here and there and his kicking certainly hasn't been the best of the decade, but the World Cup winner has saved Spurs on many, many more occasions than he's hindered them.

The France captain might be the club skipper right now but we're going to give the armband to another in a little whilte.

Defenders

We've gone for three-quarters of what was Tottenham's tightest defence this decade with one modern day legend thrown in there as well.

When it comes to the full-backs, the duo selected may well have had their drops in form, their run-ins with the fans, having made their wish to leave public in one case and their desire to see out their contract until its end in another and one has since left, but there's little doubt that in their prime Kyle Walker and Danny Rose were among the best in Europe.

Pochettino's Spurs philosophy puts more pressure on the full-backs than any other player and Walker and Rose made it work, as both defenders and wingers wrapped up in one during their best seasons together.

At centre-back, logic might suggest that you would place between Rose and Walker the two centre-backs who helped form the best defence Spurs have had in years.

However, we just can't ignore that man named Ledley King. King was arguably the most naturally gifted defender Spurs have ever had and was better than most other players with his one knee, let alone imagining what he would have been like with both working and fully operational.

King was heading towards the end of his career during this decade but he did make 21 Premier League appearances in the 2011/12 season as Spurs finished fourth in the table. We just can't leave him out and he's our captain in this side.

That leaves the decision of who plays alongside the King and while it's incredibly harsh on the almost equally talented Toby Alderweireld, we're going for the balance of a left and right-pairing which means Jan Vertonghen completes our back four.

Before his struggles this season, the older of the two Belgians was one of Spurs' most consistent performers since his arrival way back in 2012, the summer King retired. It would have been wonderful to have seen them play together.

Central midfield

There have been central midfielders galore over the past. Sandro before his injury was a force of nature, Jermaine Jenas had his moments while Scott Parker added some bite and Ryan Mason a homegrown touch before the more recent Harry Winks, Moussa Sissoko and new signing Tanguy Ndombele, who it's just too early for.

Then there was Luka Modric. Some Spurs fans will never forgive him for his departure from the club, having wanted to leave the season before he ended up heading off to Real Madrid to win silverware aplenty and the Ballon D'Or.

However the little Croatian was a magician in the Tottenham midfield once Redknapp realised he didn't have to hide him out wide. He was one of the world's best and he wore a Spurs shirt.

Alongside him we're going for a player who managed to combine power and grace somehow in one package.

Mousa Dembele might have been terrified of the final third but in his pomp he was so dominating that he'd leave opponents in his wake and create space for the more attacking players to do their damage further up the pitch.

It's perhaps no coincidence that Spurs' recent struggles have come since the Belgian began to feel the ravages of injury and time and then left the club for China.

Attacking midfield

The likes of Nacer Chadli, Erik Lamela, Niko Kranjcar miss out here as does the speedster that was Aaron Lennon. Modern day midfielders Dele Alli and the popular Son Heung-min also just miss out on a spot in the starting XI.

The first midfielder we're selecting is the player who still ranks as the most exciting deadline day capture at the club - Rafael van der Vaart. The Dutchman might have been knackered before an hour had passed, but he was one of the most gifted attacking midfielders to have worn the Spurs shirt this decade and he weighed in with his fair share of spectacular goals as well.

Next up is Christian Eriksen. The Dane's form this season and his decision to want to pursue new challenges after six years at the club should not detract from the fact that he has been one of Tottenham's most creative players of the Premier League era.

He's contributed 87 assists and scored 68 goals from 291 appearances, meaning he's contributed to a goal more than every other game he's played in.

We need some pace and explosive skill to complete our attacking midfield trio and that job goes to Gareth Bale. Another who left the club under a bit of a cloud, he's since gone on to, with Modric, land all the trophies Spain has to offer including four Champions League titles.

As with everyone else in our attacking areas, Bale can score just as many goals as he creates and we think that makes this line-up pretty devastating.

(Image: Harriet Lander/Copa/Getty Images)

Striker

We've got the likes of Robbie Keane, Jermain Defoe, Peter Crouch, Emmanuel Adebayor, Roman Pavlyuchenko or Son again, but let's not beat around the bush.

Harry Kane is the best striker Tottenham have had in many, many years and he could end up being the best ever so for the lone striker role, there's nobody else for the spot.

Here is our team and then the bench:

(4-2-3-1) Lloris; Walker, King, Vertonghen, Rose; Dembele, Modric; Van der Vaart, Eriksen, Bale; Kane. Subs: Gomes, Trippier, Alderweireld, Alli, Son, Defoe, Keane.

Now pick yours.

Let us know who you chose by sharing it with us on social media.