Copy linkFacebookXPinterestEmailShare this article 0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterSubscribe to our newsletterA former Tottenham Hotspur youth player has denied a strange rumour about why he left North London.Des Walker was on the books with Tottenham as a teenager before making the move to Nottingham Forest as a 15-year-old, making his first-team debut at 18 for the great Brian Clough towards the end of his managerial career.Even though it was over 40 years ago that he left Spurs, however, Walker is keen to put to bed the rumour of why he left.Was it because I had long hair? No: we can definitely debunk that one!Wikipedia has a reputation for its occasional dubious reliability and Walker's own page has a citation needed note in the section detailing his early life.Walker was spotted playing locally in London and was signed by Forest in 1980 as an apprentice, the entry reads, adding, He had previously been part of the youth system at Tottenham Hotspur, but was released after a disagreement where he refused to get a haircut. You may like How FourFourTwo magazine helped Neil Sullivan earn a Scotland call-up in the 1990s Tottenham Hotspur summer sale breaks silence on dressing room issues amid Roberto De Zerbi comments Dougie Freedman was blocking my transfers, so I texted him that he wasn't my manager Id be playing for myself. Within two days I was at West Ham" Michail Antonio on dark arts that got him his Premier League move FourFourTwo can now confirm via the man himself that this is not true.After all these years, somebody [came] up with a justification for why it happened, Walker tells us now, courtesy of Power Up Gaming.Get FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.I saw that story on Wikipedia. Somebody has come up with a reason for why they let me go, and apparently thats the best they could come up with.Remember, I left in 1982. Around 1981, just about everyone had long hair! So why would they have kicked me out because I had long hair? Look at Chris Waddle.It turned out to be for the best: Walker went on to appear 346 times for the Tricky Trees before ending his career back at the City Ground (between a spell in Italian football, notably).So why was he released?They deemed that I wasnt good enough, Walker says. Thats it. I went on and had my career, and now its up to them to decide whether they got that decision right or wrong.But the idea that it was because I had long hair? No, no, no. We can definitely debunk that one.TOPICSTottenham HotspurMark WhiteSocial Links NavigationContent EditorMark White has been at on FourFourTwo since joining in January 2020, first as a staff writer before becoming content editor in 2023. An encyclopedia of football shirts and boots knowledge both past and present Mark has also represented FFT at both FA Cup and League Cup finals (though didn't receive a winners' medal on either occasion) and has written pieces for the mag ranging on subjects from Bobby Robson's season at Barcelona to Robinho's career. He has written cover features for the mag on Mikel Arteta and Martin Odegaard, and is assisted by his cat, Rosie, who has interned for the brand since lockdown.
