Daniel Levy's £1bn legacy and the major criticism he deserves after shock Tottenham decision

At 5.40pm on a Thursday evening, a lot of Tottenham Hotspur fans finally got the news they have been waiting years to hear - Daniel Levy has left the club.

The Spurs chairman brought to an end nearly 25 years at the helm in north London in surprise circumstances on Thursday afternoon, when a statement was released on the official website.

It came out of nowhere, with no one reporting anything of the sort in the build-up to the announcement.

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The statement read: "Tottenham Hotspur announces that Daniel Levy has today stepped down from his role as executive chairman after nearly 25 years.

"There are no changes to the ownership or shareholder structure of the club."

Levy may no longer be in his post as chairman of the club, but still holds a keen interest in the future running of the Lilywhites, with ownership of a good chunk of shares in controlling company ENIC.

But in terms of making the final decisions at the club in north London, that responsibility will no longer reside with Levy.

The 2024/25 season saw a number of fan protests before and during matches at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with the slogan '24 Years, 16 Managers, One Trophy, Time for Change' used on banners.

That motto obviously had to change come the end of the 2024/25 season with the triumph in the UEFA Europa League final against Manchester United, as it became two trophies in Levy's tenure.

There has been plenty of animosity towards Levy during the past 24 years. The suggestions constantly aimed at him were that he that he ran Spurs like a business rather than a football club; that he focused more on the financials than the wishes of the supporters.

It is hard to disagree, and you need only look at the money spent in this summer's transfer window to back-up said argument.

Spurs were the seventh-highest spenders this summer, with Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United, Newcastle and Nottingham Forest all above them.

But Tottenham have never been troubled by UEFA's Financial Fair Play or the more recent Premier League Profit and Sustainability Rules. The club have always spent within their means - something that is to be commended.

However, many will point to the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool who have also managed to work within the rules and spend in the right ways to ensure they stay on the right side of things, but have managed to surpass Spurs in trophy count during Levy's time at the club.

Levy's legacy will be the £1billion stadium. And, no one who has been there would have a bad word to say about it.

It is an extraordinary stadium: the envy of almost all other football clubs' fans. And what he has done in making it an attraction to secure the club's financial future must be applauded.

But as Mauricio Pochettino once said "if you want to have a lovely house maybe you need better furniture", and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium deserves to have the best players gracing its turf - on the home side and not just in the opposition ranks.

Tottenham have a world-class stadium and first-class training facilities. A top drawer squad is all that is missing from making the club one of the world's best.

And as Levy leaves the club, with all the plaudits for what he has built in the white half of north London, he must also take criticism for many of the failings on the pitch.