A product of the Spurs Youth system, Shaun Close made only a couple of appearances in the first team before heading off for Swindon Town, Barnet and Bournemouth.

Was loaned out to Halmstads of Sweden to get some experience, but following a goal on his debut in a League Cup tie 5-3 win over Barnsley, he played only a handful of games with his only other goal coming in the same competition at Cambridge United.

Short for a striker, Close was nippy enough and had a sense of where he should be to convert chances, but the step up at Tottenham from being a prolific goalscorer in the reserves and youth sides was deemed too far for him.  Robust enough to hold off players, he found it tougher in the first team, where experienced players were reading the game a little bit quicker.  But like so many youngsters at the club, his impact wasn't sufficiently immediate and he was released to move to Bournemouth in 1988.

A season at Dean Court failed to keep him at the Dorset club and he was let go, with Ossie Ardiles taking him to the County Ground, where he struggled at Swindon Town.  Fans did not rate him highly there and think he may be one of the worst players they ever signed, probably not helped by the changes in management and injuries, which restricted his performances over the four seasons he was with the club - the majority of which came from the bench.  He was there when they got promoted to the Premiership under Glenn Hoddle, but he was a peripheral member of the squad.

Freed at the end of the 1992-93 season, he moved back to North London with Barnet and spent a season there before dropping down into non-league to play for Hertfordshire side Bishops Stortford.

Took over as manager of the George pub in Hoddesdon