Former Spurs star Adel Taarabt spilled the beans on preferring Arsenal over Tottenham when he was a fresh-faced 17 year old.
Despite securing a permanent deal after an initial loan back in January 2007 and being hailed as one of the club’s hottest prospects, Taarabt’s career didn’t exactly skyrocket at White Hart Lane, with a mere 15 appearances over nearly three seasons.
He ultimately upped sticks to QPR in 2009. While tipping his hat to Tottenham for the opportunity, Taarabt can’t help but wonder what life would have been like under the “legendary” Arsene Wenger at Arsenal.
READ MORE: ‘Barclaysman’ cult hero XI – from Gamst Pedersen to Dimitar Berbatov and their soundtrack
READ MORE: Arsenal furious with Tottenham referee appointment after ‘choke’ went unpunished
Join the Daily Star’s WhatsApp for the sexiest headlines, showbiz gossip and lots more
The Daily Star is now on WhatsApp and we want you to join us!
Through the app, we’ll send you the sassiest showbiz stories, some naught headline and a seismic smattering of aliens…along with the latest breaking news of course.
To join our community, all you have to do to join is click on this link, select ‘Join Chat’ and you’re in!
No one will be able to see who has sign up and no one can send messages except for the Daily Star team. We also treat our community members to competitions, special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners.
If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose Exit group. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Maintaining that the Gunners’ mentality might have been a better fit, the now 35-year-old maverick playmaker insists Spurs didn’t do enough to dole out chances to their young talent trove.
“I signed for Tottenham, but I wanted to sign for Arsenal and Arsene Wenger, the legendary Frenchman,” Taarabt reflected in his chat with The National earlier this year.
What do you think of Adel Taarabt’s decision? Let us know in the comments section below
(Image: Getty)
“But [Spurs’ director of football] Damian Comolli wanted me to go to Tottenham. He told me he was creating something. Gareth Bale arrived at the same time as me, Kyle Walker soon after. It was a good club, but not one that gave young players many chances.”
Taarabt has endured a rollercoaster career and only hit more than 50 appearances for three of his eight clubs, despite once earning comparisons with French icon Zinedine Zidane.
With runs at Lens, QPR, Fulham, AC Milan, Benfica, Genoa, and now Al Nassr, Taarabt’s dazzling skills were often overshadowed by talk of wasted potential; he even landed a spot in a Premier League line-up of ‘lost talents’ due to his attitude issues, reports the Mirror.
(Image: STUART ROBINSON)
Reflecting on his turbulent London years, Taarabt shared how he went from the next midfield maestro to just another face amidst Spurs’ star-studded squad, confessing that Robbie Keane, Dimitar Berbatov and Edgar Davids’ presence dimmed his sparkle.
“London was a culture shock for me. In France, I was the next Zidane,” he remarked. “At Spurs, I was nobody in a dressing room full of big names: Robbie Keane, [Dimitar] Berbatov, Edgar Davids.”
Missing the French connection and struggling to gel, he felt he would’ve thrived at a club like Arsenal, steeped in French influence. His time in North London filled him with doubt to such an extent that a mere three months into his Spurs spell, he yearned for the comforts of home.
(Image: GETTY)
He lamented: “People told me London is beautiful but it’s dark and rainy at 3.30pm in the winter. I didn’t speak English, it was hard.”
In a surprise twist, despite his apparent lack of enthusiasm for England, Taarabt then went on to declare that signing with Spurs’ London QPR was the top move of his career.
The Moroccan magician wove his spells in 164 matches for the R’s, seeing the net bulge 34 times and helping them ascend to the Premier League in 2011.
“The best decision I made,” he reminisced about his switch to The Hoops. “I needed to play football, not just train. At QPR I got the love, and if you show me love then I want to give you more love.”