A competitive and skilled midfielder, Ardiles became a cult hero in England, along with Glenn Hoddle and compatriot Ricardo Villa, as a player for Tottenham Hotspur.

During his career, Ardiles has also coached in Mexico, Croatia, Japan, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Israel, Paraguay and his native Argentina.

[6] He was named as El Gráfico's best player of the interior in 1974, and abandoned his law degree studies in order to play professional football.

In the wake of the Falklands War between Britain and Argentina it became difficult for him to return to White Hart Lane and he went on loan to Paris Saint-Germain in France.

After one season in Paris, he returned to Tottenham, helping the club to win the UEFA Cup in 1984 (coming on as a substitute in the second leg of the final).

Ten months after he had joined, Ardiles led Swindon to their highest ever league position, finishing fourth in the second division.

The following season, Ardiles was told to sell players to keep the club alive and Wembley hero Alan McLoughlin was the first big-money departure.

By the end of February, relegation threatened, and when Newcastle offered Ardiles the chance to become their new boss, he accepted, becoming the club's first foreign manager.

But his time on Tyneside was not a success and he lasted 12 months in the job before being sacked, with the Magpies bottom of the second division, though they achieved safety under his successor Kevin Keegan.

[13] In mid-2006, he moved to Israel to coach Beitar Jerusalem, though he quit after only a few months in charge on 18 October 2006, due to severe differences of opinion with the club's board of directors.

He joined Paraguayan club Cerro Porteño in May 2008[14] but was sacked in August of the same year after a string of poor results and was replaced by Pedro Troglio.