Very few Tottenham men have got pulses pounding like Lennon breaking at full pelt
We may never know exactly what he did to upset him, but Mauricio Pochettino has been determined to get rid of Aaron Lennon since substituting him in the Chelsea game in early December. Perhaps it was his associate membership of the 'Kaboul Cabal', the rebel group comprising Adebayor, Capoue and Kaboul that reputedly brings a poisonous atmosphere to the dressing room. Efforts to reintegrate its members have been unsuccessful and Spurs have been better in the last two games at Sheffield United and West Bromwich Albion without any of them in the squad.
The fact that Levy was prepared to let Lennon go to Everton on loan demonstrates the determination to get rid at all costs and though business remains to be done in the summer, we can assume he'll not be seen in a Spurs shirt again.
The moment when a player leaves a club isn't usually the time that his efforts get the fairest assessment. If he is going at the peak of his powers the fans are disinclined to appreciate the good times because they feel jilted. If he goes when his best days are behind him, fans are slow to remember him in his pomp.
Aaron Lennon falls into the second category but history, at least, will judge his Tottenham career positively. At his best he was an exciting and potent attacker who induced panic in the most highly rated defences. His most memorable moments are the ones that best illustrate this point. The winning goal in the 2-1 victory over Mourinho's Chelsea at White Hart Lane in 2006 - the first in 16 years in the league - remains etched on the memory as does the last gasp equaliser in the astonishing 4-4 draw with Arsenal a couple of years later, just two games into the Harry Redknapp reign. His blistering run, trick and lay off for Peter Crouch's goal in the San Siro that beat AC Milan in the Champions League also remain vivid.
When he arrived from Leeds at White Hart Lane in 2005 he was barely 18 and was expected to be understudy to another new recruit, the slightly older and better known Wayne Routledge. But Lennon was so good he quickly saw off the more senior man, winning the club's Young Player of the Year award at the end of the season. The following year he broke into the England team and his exhilarating performances provided the only positive memory of another disappointing World Cup campaign for Sven Goran Eriksson in Germany.
In 2008 he picked up a League Cup winner's medal after playing in the memorable 2-1 victory over Chelsea at Wembley and the following season was probably his best when he won both the Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year prizes at Spurs. Some have carped that he didn't improve much after the early promise but, unless they transform themselves into different kinds of players, wingers often don't. Their game is based on pace and fearless exuberance, qualities that are usually diminished by age. And Lennon certainly possessed those qualities. Over the last ten years, very few Tottenham men have got pulses pounding like Lennon breaking at full pelt.
If this all sounds like he's a spent force it shouldn't. He has been good in the few games he's played this season, he is still quick and, unlike some tricky wide men, he gets through an enormous amount of invaluable defensive work.
Only Darren Anderson, Jermain Defoe and the great Ledley King have made more Premier League appearances for Spurs than Aaron Lennon. Despite the murky politics, he should be one of those old boys that returns to the Lane to enthusiastic appreciation from the crowd. He has certainly earned it.