Strength in character: Wilson Palacios helped his country qualify despite news that his brother had been murdered

Palacios is just as fearsome a presence for Honduras as he is for Tottenham. Such determination, however, has been forged in great adversity.

When Palacios, once a stalwart for Wigan, scored his first goal in English football with a strike against Hull this August, he pointed to the heavens in honour of his brother, Edwin, whose body had been found earlier in the year after being murdered.

Edwin had been the victim of a kidnapping and in May, following a confession by Honduran gang leaders, it was confirmed that his remains had been recovered. Wilson returned home to Honduras the following day on compassionate leave but despite his loss, he joined the Honduran team to galvanise them for what proved to be vital qualifiers against the USA and El Salvador.