Former Spurs midfielder Adel Taarabt previously revealed that he wished he would have joined Arsenal over Tottenham.
The Moroccan joined Spurs in January 2007 when he was just 17 years old. First arriving at White Hart Lane on loan, Taarabt was eventually signed on a permanent deal soon after, however his career never took off at Tottenham.
Appearing 15 times in just under three seasons he eventually left the club to join QPR in 2009. Despite Spurs giving Taarabt a remarkable chance at such a young age, the gifted winger has spoken out about he wanted to sign for the club’s arch rivals Arsenal due to their “legendary” manager Arsene Wenger.
While being complimentary of his first club in England, the 35-year-old has claimed that Spurs were not in the business of gifting young players “chances”. He also maintained that Arsenal’s “mentality” would have suited him better and made life easier for him.
“I signed for Tottenham, but I wanted to sign for Arsenal and Arsene Wenger, the legendary Frenchman,” Taarabt said in an interview with The National earlier this year. “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 been known as something of a maverick throughout his unsettled career. A talented player with the capability to change a game in a heartbeat, the former Benfica star has lined up for eight clubs throughout his time on the pitch but has only ever made over 50 appearances for just three of them.
Featuring for Lens, QPR, Fulham, AC Milan, Benfica, Genoa and now Al Nassr, he was once compared to Zinedine Zidane in his early days on the pitch. However, his perceived squandered talent saw him included in a Premier League XI of ‘wasted potential’, and he was also often sought out for his below-par attitude.
Discussing his time in the capital, Taarabt disclosed how he struggled to adapt to life in England. He also asserted that being in a dressing room full of high-profile names did little for his confidence and that Arsenal’s French inspired culture would have fitted his personality better.
“London was a culture shock for me. In France, I was the next Zidane,” he said. “At Spurs, I was nobody in a dressing room full of big names: Robbie Keane, [Dimitar] Berbatov, Edgar Davids.
“I didn’t feel special because I wasn’t, but I feel it would have been much easier for me at Arsenal with more of the French tradition and mentality.”
Nevertheless, despite his seeming indifference to England, he went on to claim that the best decision he ever made was joining Spurs’ London rivals QPR. Taarabt was part of the R’s side that won promotion to the Premier League in 2011 and ultimately made 164 appearances for the club, scoring 34 goals.
“The best decision I made,” he said of his choice to sign for 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.”
