Gareth Bale and Luke Modric weren’t the only uber-talented youngsters at Tottenham in the late 2000s (Image: Getty)
When you think of Tottenham in the late 2000s, names like Gareth Bale, Dimitar Berbatov and Luka Modric come to mind – players who defined an era with their dynamism, finesse, and footballing genius. And yet, hidden among them was a player who, at least in former Spurs striker Darren Bent’s eyes, outshone them all when the ball was at his feet: Adel Taarabt.
Taarabt was one of football’s great teases – a player tipped for superstardom whose raw flair and audacity seemed pulled straight from the streets. His touch, flair and on-ball elegance drew comparisons to the great Zinedine Zidane. But for all the Moroccan’s artistry, genuine effectiveness was too often fleeting, much to Bent’s surprise. “It’s a tough one because he had all the attributes,” the 41-year-old said speaking exclusively to Express Football. “He was strong, powerful, he had unbelievable feet… he’s got the best feet I’ve ever seen in terms of dribbling, going past people.
“A couple of times [at Spurs] he showed flashes [of his brilliance]… but I don’t know why, it just didn’t happen for him in the Premier League.”
Taarabt arrived at Tottenham in January 2007 as a wide-eyed 17-year-old, plucked from French side Lens with the aura of a boy destined for greatness. At first it was just a loan, but within six months Spurs had seen enough of his technical wizardry to make the move permanent.
Yet in north London, he never really found rhythm. Opportunities were scarce, particularly under Juande Ramos, and flashes of talent were left to wither on the sidelines amid accusations of attitude problems.
Adel Taraabt failed to make the grade at Tottenham (Image: Getty)
It wasn’t until he moved to Championship club QPR that Taarabt’s light finally began to burn, dazzling in flashes that reminded everyone why he had once been tipped for greatness – even if it came a rung or two below the heights so many had imagined for him.
At Loftus Road, Taarabt became the heartbeat of a revival. In 2011, he played a central role in powering the club back into the Premier League after a 12-year exile, finally granting him a stage that felt worthy of his gifts.
A loan to Fulham followed, where he reunited with his old Spurs team-mate Bent. After that, he enjoyed a brief spell at European giants AC Milan, before heading to Lisbon for a five-year stint at Benfica, where he truly found his feet.
Taraabt had an impressive stint in Portugal with Benfica (Image: Getty)
In Bent’s eyes, getting the best out of Taarabt was never straightforward, but more than worth the effort. To him, Taarabt wasn’t just a mercurial talent with unmatched feet, he was also a nice lad who simply needed the right management to unlock his brilliance.
“He really made his mark that year at QPR in the Championship when he got promoted where he won Top Goal Scorer of the Year, Best Player,” Bent said. “I think he won all the awards but I do think sometimes managers have to play their part. I think Neil Warnock knew how to get the best out of him in terms of how to press the right buttons at the right time.
“He was a great guy, one of my favourite guys, even though he found it tough at Tottenham. As a person, you really wanted him to succeed because we saw it in training, we saw how good he can be. He was always smiling, he was always joking, he was always laughing.
Darren Bent played with Taraabt at Tottenham and Fulham (Image: Getty)
“So I’m glad that when he left England and he went to Benfica it really worked for him and he did really well there because again, his ability was top drawer. But for whatever reason, sometimes it doesn’t work out, right?
“You come to England and people just don’t excel like you’d expect them to but as a person, what a guy. I still speak to him now, fantastic team-mate and a really good person.”
Bent, now a talkSPORT pundit, is one of just 34 players to have scored 100 or more Premier League goals. He spent two years at Tottenham, scoring 25 goals in 79 games. He also had notable stints at Ipswich, Charlton, Sunderland and Aston Villa, and earned 13 caps for England.
Darren Bent is raising awareness of The Football Association’s Silent Support Weekend. More information is available on the England Football website.