John Ryden's versatility may have counted against him after his move to Spurs, as he became a useful stand-in, without really securing a first team place on a regular basis.
John joined
Spurs from Accrington Stanley in November 1955 and
played at centre half or wing half, making 63 First
Division appearances until he left in June 1961.
Despite being captain in 1957-58 and making 35 league
appearances as Spurs finished third, the rest of his
seasons at Spurs only yielded a handful of games each
campaign.
Ryden played in Bill Nicholson's first match as manager,
beating Everton 10-4 at White Hart Lane in October 1958
and scored one of the goals.
But, seeking first team football, John left to join Watford and went on to play for Romford and Tunbridge Wells before became player-manager of Bexley United.
On retirement, John retired
to Kent and on 16th August 2013, he died in Keston, Kent