Paul Robinson has opened up about one of the biggest regrets of his career leaving Tottenham Hotspur too soon. The former England goalkeeper, who played 175 games for Spurs, admitted that he should have stayed longer at White Hart Lane instead of forcing a move to Blackburn Rovers in 2008.
Robinson joined Blackburn for £4 million shortly after Tottenham’s League Cup triumph, a decision he now believes was made in haste.
Reflecting on his time at Tottenham, Robinson explained that his difficult relationship with then-manager Juande Ramos was the main reason behind his decision to leave.
Despite just winning a major trophy, he felt unwanted and believed his opportunities in the first team were gone. Speaking on An Echo Of Glory podcast, Robinson said that he was already certain about leaving even before playing in the final, knowing that Ramos no longer saw him as part of his plans.
He recalled, “That’s why I left. Me and Juande Ramos didn’t see eye to eye at all. With hindsight, I should have stayed and outlasted him, but sometimes you can’t see the wood for the trees.
We had just won the Carling Cup, and I knew even before that final that I’d be leaving at the end of the season because he didn’t want me around. At that point, he’d taken me in and out of the team, and I wanted to play every week. His man management just wasn’t right for me.”
Unfortunately for Robinson, Ramos didn’t last much longer at Spurs. The Spanish manager was sacked just months later, paving the way for Harry Redknapp’s arrival a manager Robinson admits he would have loved to play under.
“Looking back, I probably should have stayed and waited it out because Ramos didn’t last,” he said. “Harry came in afterward, and he’s the kind of manager I’d have thrived under. But at that time, I just couldn’t see past the next week. I wanted to play, and I needed a fresh start. It’s one of those decisions you only realize later was wrong.”
Robinson’s departure not only left a void for him personally but also created a problem for Tottenham. The club made a small profit, selling him for £4 million after paying Leeds United £1.5 million in 2004.
However, their attempt to replace him backfired. Spurs spent £8 million to bring in Heurelho Gomes from PSV Eindhoven, but the Brazilian struggled badly during his early seasons in North London.
Costly errors, including one against Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-final, turned him into a figure of frustration among the fans.
It proved to be a lose-lose situation. Tottenham failed to find a stable goalkeeper immediately after Robinson’s exit, while the player himself missed the chance to work with a manager who could have revived his form at the top level.
For Robinson, leaving Tottenham after lifting the League Cup turned out to be bittersweet — it was the last major trophy he ever won in his career.
Still, he did enjoy some personal success after moving to Blackburn, where he was named Player of the Year for the 2010/11 season after keeping eight clean sheets in 36 Premier League appearances.
Yet, the sense of “what could have been” remains strong. Robinson’s honesty about his regret is a reminder of how quickly football careers can change sometimes not because of ability, but timing and circumstance.
Looking back, Tottenham’s decision to part ways with their long-serving goalkeeper and Robinson’s eagerness to move both seem like misjudgments.
Spurs lost a reliable figure between the posts, and Robinson lost the chance to work under a manager perfectly suited to his style. It’s a classic football story one where both sides might quietly wish they’d handled things differently.
