THE VITALS:

Team: Tottenham Hotspur

Brand: Under Armour

Era: 2012-13 (Used for the 2012-13 Barclays Premier League season)

Name/Number: Bale #11

CONDITION: EXCELLENT

This shirt remains in excellent condition – now over a decade in age; where barring some light staining, all of the applications and name and number print is fine standing.

DIMENSIONS:

Size: Small

Pit to Pit Measurement: 19.0 inches

Shirt Length: 30.0 inches

Made by Under Armour in their ‘Heat Gear’ range of shirts which marked their debut season as a football kit supplier – unlike their signature training wear; the dimensions of this shirt suggest that it may be better for a size medium.

DESCRIPTION: 

The 2012-13 season marked the start of Under Armour's foray into football and they didn't disappoint with this beautiful debut home jersey, as they started their relationship with Tottenham Hotspur. After the 2011-12 edition made by Puma was a strictly all-white affair, Under Armour integrated grey side panels and accents across the sleeve bands and down the shoulder panels to create a truly contemporary and modern shirt. Spurs fans will remember this home shirt fondly as Gareth Bale lit the Premier League up in 2012-13 while there was also a foray to the quarter final of the Europa League and come agonisingly close to finishing fourth for a consecutive season. This season would also mark the arrivals of: Gylfi Sigurdsson, Jan Vertonghen, Emmanuel Adebayor (on a permanent basis), Mousa Dembele, Hugo Lloris and Clint Dempsey – most telling however, was that this was also the first season that  first time Harry Kane turned out for the senior side, This shirt would be on full display as Andre Villas-Boas masterminded wins over: Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Lyon and Internazionale in the Premier League and Europa League respectively,

THE SEASON: 

Harry Redknapp’s final season at the helm would prove to be a bittersweet ending to his tenure at the helm with Tottenham as he guided the club to the FA Cup semi-final and a second fourth place finish this decade – however, as Chelsea celebrated their first Champions League victory in 2012; they would usurp the ‘Lilywhites’ place in the 2012-13 Champions League as the club embarked on a new era in 2012.

Andre Villas-Boas was appointed to carry on Redknapp’s work, but he would have to do so without Luka Modric, Rafael van der Vaart while long time club captain – Ledley King also retired in the close season. There were also departures of: Ryan Nelsen, Vedran Corluka, Sebastien Bassong, Niko Kranjcar, Steven Pienaar and Louis Saha. The money from the sales was wisely invested however as Gylfi Sigurdsson, Jan Vertonghen, Emmanuel Adebayor (on a permanent basis), Mousa Dembele, Hugo Lloris and Clint Dempsey all joined the club.

Tottenham’s opener of the 2012-13 season Premier League season pit them against 5^th place side from the 2011-12 season - Newcastle United and Newcastle would stun the visitors 2-1 on 18^th August 2012. ‘AVB’ would wait have to wait until match-day 4 for his first win as Spurs manager when he guided his side past Reading 3-1 on 16^th September. This would be the first of a four match winning run that included a 3-2 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford on 29^th September. The early winter would see another downturn in results as Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal all claimed wins over Spurs, before the team rallied to win six of their last eight league games of 2012 to end the year in 5^th place – level on points with 4^th place Arsenal.

The 1-0 win over Swansea City on 16^th December would see Spurs enter 2013 on a four match winning spree and on New Year's Day of 2013 – they would replicate their 3-1 win over Reading, before battling to draws against the triumvirate of QPR, Manchester United and Norwich City to end January in 4^th place. There next four games would yield maximum points – culminating with a 1-0 win over Arsenal in the North London Derby on 3^rd March 2013 which placed Spurs in 3^rd position with the final ten games of the season to play. Their unbeaten run of twelve games would be crushed in a 3-2 defeat against Liverpool, before they were stunned at home by Fulham. Although they would end the season unbeaten – their final eight games would be a run victories and draws and their inconsistencies would allow Arsenal and Chelsea to bridge the gap to ensure one of the three London clubs would be missing out on Champions League football next season with three points separating them on the final day of the season. Although Gareth Bale would score a 90^th minute winner to see off Sunderland 1-0 – victories for Chelsea and Arsenal meant that it was indeed Spurs who had to settle for the 5^th place finish; ironically with more points than they achieved last season!

The domestic cup competitions were both disappointing as Norwich City eliminated Spurs from the League Cup in the 4^th Round, while Leeds United upset the semi-finalists in 2012 also in the 5^th Round.

The last time Andre Villas-Boas managed a team in the Europa League was in 2010-11 when he guided FC Porto all the way to glory in one of the competitions greatest ever showings. He returned to UEL as Spurs boss two seasons later and his side took their place in Group J alongside Lazio, Panathinaikos and Maribor. Although they would go undefeated in the Group Stage; they would win just twice and have to settle for a second place finish.

Their opponents in the Round of 32 would be a formidable foe in the form of Olympique Lyonnais who were enjoying a revival in 2012-13 – however, it was the North London side who would prevail 3-2 on aggregate with Gareth Bale scoring a brace in the 2-1 win in the 1^st Leg before Mousa Dembele’s 90^th minute equaliser in the Stade de Gerland prevented Lyon from progressing on away goals! Tottenham would next be drawn against Internazionale in a rematch of their epic pair of fixtures in the Champions League Group Stage back in 2010 and Spurs would again make headlines at the expense of the Italian giants by winning the 1^st Leg 3-0 at home! The 2^nd Leg at San Siro on 14^th March nearly became a nightmare however as Inter won 3-0 to set up extra time! Emmanuel Adebayor would score a 96^th minute goal to all but guide Spurs to the quarter-final – not without a scare as Inter did net a fourth of their own; in the end though, it would Tottenham Hotspur who reached the quarter-final by way of away goals!

A tricky quarter-final with FC Basel was next on the agenda and the Swiss visitors would take a 2-0 lead in the 1^st Leg at White Hart Lane before the hosts rallied to earn a 2-2 draw. The 2^nd Leg in Switzerland would also end 2-2 and penalties would be needed to determine the semi-finalists and it would be the hosts who would prevail 4-1 on spot-kicks on 11^th April to end Spurs European journey for the 2012-13 season.

The notable players that season were:

Emmanuel Adebayor, Harry Kane, Jermain Defoe, Gareth Bale, Moussa Dembele, Clint Dempsey, Iago Falque, David Bentley, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Aaron Lennon, Andros Townsend, Mousa Dembele, Tom Huddlestone, Lewis Holtby, Scott Parker, Jake Livermore, Tom Carroll, Sandro, William Gallas, Jan Vertonghen, Younes Kaboul, Michael Dawson, Steven Caulker, Danny Rose, Kyle Walker, Kyle Naughton, Benoit Assou-Ekotto, Brad Freidel, Hugo Lloris, Heurelho Gomes