Only those who might recall our story of 20 years ago would know the answer: Edgar Davids, whose Sephardi mother was of Afro-Surinamese and Jewish Dutch descent.

The other trivia question is: Who is the only Jew to have managed Tottenham, and probably the only member of the tribe ever to have managed in any of the top four English leagues?

Few, if any, guess that is Nottingham-born David Pleat, a man who also starred as an England Schoolboy international and was even tipped to be the successor in the national team to the great Tom Finney.

Injury robbed him of a prolonged career which ended at Peterborough United when he was 26.

He broke his leg in a practice game, suffering a Pott’s fracture, where a blow to the outside of the ankle twists it and causes a fracture where it meets the tibia.

He missed three months and lost the pace that was so vital to his game. He was coerced into making a comeback too soon, he reflects sadly.

This interview, believe it or not, should have taken place in 1986 when Pleat, now aged 79, promised to sit down with me when he was first appointed Spurs manager.

He asked me to be patient, feeling that whether he was successful or unsuccessful there might be antisemitism directed at him from the terraces.

I was dubious at the time — and on each of the numerous occasions I met him over the years, the promise remained, but the interview never happened. Until now, when he called me one recent Sunday morning and announced: “I promised you an exclusive interview. I’m ready.”

Better late than never, and it coincides with the publication of his autobiography, Just One More Goal (Biteback, £20), written with Tim Rich, published yesterday, incidentally one of the finest such books I have ever read.

The reasons for his reticence to highlight his Jewish background become apparent throughout the book.

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