Kota Takai could be about to join Harry Winks in an exclusive Tottenham club

Kota Takai is yet to make his Tottenham Hotspur debut, but it could be a unique occasion when he finally pulls on the shirt.

Many supporters have made complaints that Tottenham Hotspur have lost their identity in recent years. However, the club have worked to keep their history alive, from preserving the White Hart Lane golden cockerels to reinstalling the Bill Nicholson Gates.

Another way Spurs have remembered this history is by establishing legacy numbers to commemorate every player to have worn the shirt in a senior competitive fixture.

The initiative was launched in October 2023 and has seen every Tottenham player honoured since the club’s first recorded game against West Herts in 1994. Each player has been assigned their own unique number, denoting their place in the history of Tottenham Hotspur.

Kota Takai could become the 900th player to represent Tottenham

Tottenham Hotspur will take on Doncaster Rovers in the Carabao Cup next week. It has the potential to be a tricky fixture, but it is still likely that Spurs will rest some first-team players. As a result, there could be a debutant who snaps up the 900th legacy number.

Kota Takai seems the most likely player to make his Spurs debut against Doncaster. The Japanese youngster has been out with a foot injury, but he might be available for selection. If not, there could be an opportunity for a product of the Tottenham academy to snatch up the coveted number.

Harry Winks achieved a similar feat in November 2014 as he became the club’s 800th player to make an appearance. He did so after coming off the bench against Partizan Belgrade in the Europa League.

What happens if two Spurs players make their debuts during the same match?

Thomas Frank might not want to risk bringing on two new players in the same game, but if he does, their legacy numbers will depend on which player enters the pitch first.

In the unlikely scenario that both players start the match, their numbers will be decided based on the alphabetical order of their surnames.

Since Takai is towards the back of the alphabet, he would likely need to be on the pitch before another debutant in order to seal the 900th legacy number.

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