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LOVE him or hate him, you cannot argue that Daniel Levy wants the best for Tottenham Hotspur.The 59-year-old businessman has, perhaps, delivered his greatest coup for the club.
Daniel Levy has been the main man at Tottenham for 20 yearsCredit: Action Images
Replacing Nuno Espirito Santo with Antonio Conte shows a remarkable ability to sell a club that last lifted a trophy in 2008 to the title-winning Italian manager.
The tough negotiator has also managed to squeeze Europe’s top brass for mega money, including getting £85million for Gareth Bale.
While top asset Harry Kane was kept away from the clutches of Manchester City, despite big bucks being offered on the table. And now the England striker looks set to stay after Levy’s Conte masterstroke.
Let’s not forget, he was the chief protagonist in moving Tottenham to a £1billion stadium – arguably the best in Europe – so they could compete at a higher level.
In 20 years, he has come a long way from Mister Byrite – a chain of discount stores that sold menswear he took over from his dad – to an uncompromising football club chairman
ESSEX BOY
Daniel was born in Essex to Jewish parents.
His father, Barry famously owned the clothing retail business, Mister Byrite which later became rebranded as Blue Inc.
As a boy he was a Spurs fan, regularly making the pilgrimage to White Hart Lane through the 1960s.
He went to Cambridge University, where he studied Economics and Land Economy – graduating with a first in 1985.
Cambridge graduate studied Economics and Land Economy and worked in property development
Levy’s dad set up clothing retail company Mister Byrite, which Daniel took overCredit: Alamy
Then, he got involved in the family business while also dabbling in property development.
Alongside ex-Tottenham vice-chairman Paul Kemsley, he set up Rock Joint Ventures, which had a stake in house-builders Countryside Properties.
His paths crossed with billionaire investor Joe Lewis, who installed Levy as managing director of his investment trust, ENIC International.
Later, through ENIC, he would convince Alan Sugar to sell enough shares to initiate a takeover that was completed in 2001.
Today, ENIC own 85.5 per cent of Tottenham, while Levy is believed to pocket £6million-per-year – making him the highest paid Premier League chief executive.
BEST NEGOTIATOR
It’s no secret in football that Levy drives a hard bargain.
If he has a star asset, he will ensure they either stay or rivals will have to pay more than the going amount to secure their services.
Just ask Harry Kane, who this summer was embroiled in a huge transfer saga with Manchester City.
Levy wasn’t satisfied with the offers on the table, holding firm on his £150million valuation and managed to keep the player.
Tottenham owner Joe Lewis has Levy as his managing director for company ENIC InternationalCredit: Reuters
Over the years, Levy has earned a reputation as a tough negotiatorCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
Better still, in getting Conte as his new manager he might just have played the trump card in convincing Kane to stay for the long term.
But back in 2008, Manchester United’s relentless pursuit of Dimitar Berbatov saw the Red Devils pay £30m for the Bulgarian.
Quite brilliantly, Sir Alex Ferguson said afterwards that dealing with Levy was “more painful than my hip replacement”.
Levy kept European powerhouse Real Madrid waiting on a deal for Bale, right up until the closing hours of deadline day, as Los Blancos had to cough up a world record £85m fee to nab the Welshman.

The best compliment, however, might just have come from Lyon’s notoriously difficult president Jean-Michel Aulas, who sold goalkeeper Hugo Lloris to Spurs in 2012.
“The negotiation with the Tottenham directors has been the hardest I have ever had to undergo in 25 years,” Aulas said at the time.
“We had people speaking all night with Daniel Levy.
“He talks a lot and goes back on what we’ve agreed in writing.”
For many reasons, Levy has been labelled as football’s best negotiator. But the man himself doesn’t see it like that.
“Best negotiator? I think that’s just false. There’s no such thing,” he told the Evening Standard in a rare interview in 2019.
“You can be good, fair, hard. I don’t think anyone can define themselves as the best. I can’t help what other people say, but all I am doing is trying to become a bigger club and I am just protecting my assets.”
Real Madrid had to pay a world record £85m for Gareth Bale after Levy wouldn’t give an inchCredit: AP
Harry Kane was forced to stay at Spurs after Levy drove a hard bargain with Man CityCredit: PA
NEW STADIUM
Back in April 2019, Son Heung-min and Co walked out at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the first time.
Not only was it well-received by supporters, many pundits called the epic 62,000 seater arena one of the best in the world.
Levy’s obsession with getting it right was recounted by the project’s architect, Chris Lee, who was supposed to visit around 300 stadiums around the globe with the chairman for inspiration.
“Daniel is one of the most demanding clients I have ever had,” Lee told the Independent.
“Certainly, he is a perfectionist and it was a challenge trying to get perfection. I quickly stopped travelling with him because he never sleeps.
“We would arrive somewhere at two in the morning, talk for a few hours, then he would say ‘we have a meeting in three hours’. After a few of these trips I quickly stopped. It has been a great experience, trying to strive for perfection.”
There were reports hands-on Levy would monitor the stadium construction via video and zoom in on parts that were unfinished or weren’t working to specification, and he would want to know why.
Then there was the roof, which also didn’t escape his attention for detail.
“We wanted glass and everyone said it wasn’t possible,” Levy explained.
“So we found a solution, so this roof will look brand new in five years’ time. If you go to any other stadium, in five years that definitely wouldn’t be the case.”
Levy, centre, took a hands on approach to ensuring the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was built to his specificationsCredit: Getty – Contributor
The amazing Tottenham Hotspur stadium opened in 2019 and has been called one of the best in EuropeCredit: Getty Images – Getty
GETTING PERSONAL
When it comes to the press, Levy is a closed book.
Famously, as Louis Van Gaal claimed, he hid in a boot of a car after leaving the Dutchman’s home when they held talks about the Spurs job in 2014.
And when it comes to his personal life, that’s certainly kept very private.
He reportedly has a holiday home in Boca Raton, Florida and divides his time between there and London.

He is married to his former PA, Tracy Dixon and they have four children, Joshua, Oliver, Chloe and Gabriella.
But, it’s his 20-year marriage to Spurs that we know more about.
Now, with a manager who knows how to win things at the helm, this fan might just get to see what all Tottenham supporters want… a side that’s challenging for honours.
Tracy Dixon is Levy’s wife and former PACredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
Levy and Dixon have four kids togetherCredit: PA:Press Association
Tottenham to offer Harry Kane massive £100k a week pay-rise after denying wantaway striker Man City transfer More

WHEN Spurs fans scrolled through last week’s matchday squad in their game against Pacos de Ferreira, they would’ve noticed two unfamiliar but similar names.A quick read through the substitutes’ bench and Michael and Matthew Craig wouldn’t have been recognised by the most ardent of Tottenham’s faithful awaiting the beginning of their Europa Conference League campaign.
Tottenham twins Matthew, left, and Michael have been with Spurs since they were 13Credit: www.tottenhamhotspur.com
The talented siblings have risen through the ranks and were named in Spurs’ Europa Conference League first team squadCredit: www.tottenhamhotspur.com
But, behind the scenes at Hotspur Way, the identical twins have earned the plaudits from youth coaches, and caught the eye of Nuno Espírito Santo.
The Scottish youngsters, both 18 but born two minutes apart, started off their youth careers at Watford.
When they were Under-12’s, Matthew joined Spurs while Michael trained with Arsenal’s academy before rejoining his sibling a year later at the Lilywhites.
FOOTBALL IN THE FAMILY
Aside from sharing a genetic make-up with each other, the pair also have football in their blood.
Their grandfathers are both from Scotland. One, Ron Still, who played 46 games for Notts County.
Their dad David played non-league football for Cockfosters and Broxbourne.
Away from football, education has been important for Michael and Matthew, who attended Dame Alice Owen’s School in Potters Bar.
While they were juggling their football careers, they sat A-levels in French and Maths – scoring A’s in both, but Matthew picking up an A* in the latter.
Before they ever thought about a career in football, the Craig twins appeared as models wearing kids’ ranges for popular department stores.
The Craigs line up in midfield together against Arsenal’s U18’s last seasonCredit: www.tottenhamhotspur.com
Michael Craig can play at centre half tooCredit: Getty
Matthew scored an A* in is French A-levelCredit: Getty
STEPPING UP
Last season, Michael and Matthew were standouts in the Development Squad.
They both operated in midfield, although Matthew filled in at centre half when called upon.
And you won’t see them arguing on the pitch, when things get tough.
Unlike some brothers, these two get along famously well.
“I’m lucky because I get on with my brother really well so you always have someone to speak to if you need to and if you want to go out and do something you’ve always got someone to do it with,” Matthew said.
“If he doesn’t want to do something I’ll pester him into it!”
CLEVER LINK-UP PLAY
Knowing each other inside out means Michael and Matthew know exactly how to link up together on the pitch.
Being a twin, perhaps, will certainly give you natural chemistry together.
“I think we’re lucky,” Michael divulged.
“Everyone has players who they have a natural chemistry with and when you spend a lot of your lives together, you just end up knowing what the other person wants from you on and off the pitch.
“That gives you a deeper understanding of how you can work with them to try to dominate games with the team.”
FAMOUS FOOTBALLING TWINSMICHAEL and Matthew Craig aren’t the first footballing twins to grace the beautiful game. Here’s more who became pros against the odds.
Fabio and Rafael da Silva – The Brazilian defenders made their name at Manchester United after signing from Fluminense. They played together for six years at Old Trafford, before parting ways.
Ronald and Frank de Boer – Astonishingly, the de Boer twins played together at five different clubs – Ajax, Barcelona, Rangers and then Al-Rayyan and Al-Shamal in Qatar. They, of course, starred for Netherlands too.
Lars and Sven Bender – Both midfielders, they came through the ranks at 1860 Munich. They starred at Bayer Leverkusen together, before they initially retired. However, they’re now back with ninth-tier TSV Brannenburg.
Ray and Rod Wallace – The first twins to play in the Premier League, the pair starred at Leeds United in the early 1990s. Rod enjoyed the better career, and went on to score 45 goals in 197 top flight games.
Florentin and Mathias Pogba – The elder twin siblings of Paul aren’t as famous as their younger brother, but have enjoyed steady careers in France. And they’ve both played internationally for Guinea.

Matthew says he gets on well with his siblingCredit: Getty
Michael claims they link up well together because of their natural chemistryCredit: Getty

With Tottenham’s Europa Conference League campaign hanging in the balance following a 1-0 loss in the first leg, it might be unlikely that either one of the pair appears tonight.
However, like footballing twins Ronald and Frank de Boer, they could forge a career for club and country playing together.
And if they do, they’ll make history for both Spurs and Scotland. What a feat that would be.
Tottenham to offer Harry Kane massive £100k a week pay-rise after denying wantaway striker Man City transfer More