Gary Vincent Mabbutt was born on 23 August 1961 and is an English former footballer who made more than 750 professional appearances, first playing for Bristol Rovers and going on to play 619 games for Tottenham Hotspur, despite being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 17.
15 Facts About Gary Mabbutt
2.
Gary Mabbutt mostly played in central defence but was a versatile player who excelled in midfield, winning both the 1984 UEFA Cup and 1991 FA Cup.
3.
Gary Mabbutt became one of the best known defenders in English football in the 1980s, playing initially for Bristol Rovers before joining the first division club Tottenham Hotspur, where he became captain and won 16 caps for England, scoring against Yugoslavia in 1986.
4.
Gary Mabbutt's father was Ray Mabbutt and his brother is Kevin Mabbutt.
5.
Gary Mabbutt is married to Kathy, and has two daughters, Stephanie and Tabitha.
6.
Gary Mabbutt has type 1 diabetes, and became an icon for many children with the condition.
7.
Gary Mabbutt famously appeared on the BBC's children's television programme Blue Peter where he demonstrated injecting insulin into an orange to show how he dealt with his condition on a daily basis.
8.
In 2013, Gary Mabbutt had surgery to save his left leg, following a bout of peripheral arterial disease, brought on by his diabetes.
9.
Gary Mabbutt was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 1994 New Year Honours for services to football.
10.
Gary Mabbutt served as an ambassador for the 2010 World Cup Finals in South Africa.
11.
Gary Mabbutt is working with the Deloitte Street Child World Cup, training and encouraging street children and ex-street children in football and for street children's rights in Durban, South Africa.
12.
Gary Mabbutt is currently a Global Club Ambassador for Tottenham Hotspur FC and the English Football Association, an Ambassador for the Prince's Trust and Hon.
13.
Gary Mabbutt has made over 2,500 calls, around 625 hours on the phone.
14.
In 2018, Gary Mabbutt had part of his foot eaten by a rat.
15.
Gary Mabbutt was forced to fly back to the UK for surgery and spent a week in hospital.