Ex-Spurs sporting director Fabio Paratici may have divided opinion in his time in the role, but he was and remains one of the best at identifying talent and 27-year-old Vicario had been a goalkeeper he had followed with enthusiasm.
One thing he has always reiterated in our many conversations is the importance of scouting the man as well as the player. Understanding who the man is, is paramount to predicting how well he will integrate, progress, and thrive within the squad - and this was key to signing Vicario.
His former coach at Empoli, Paolo Zanetti, explained: "If he's not the strongest, he's certainly among the top three, he's also a very humble boy.