Former Tottenham star admits he should have signed for rivals Arsenal instead
Adel Taarabt has stuck the boot into old club Tottenham after admitting he wishes he joined rivals Arsenal instead. The Moroccan star was often a divisive figure during his time in the Premier League but there was no doubt about his eye-catching talent in midfield as he later became a cult favourite at QPR.
But things weren't so simple when he arrived in England with Tottenham as he struggled to get into the first team. He managed just 15 appearances in his first three seasons before being loaned to QPR in the 2008-09 season.
It was at Loftus Road where he left fans in awe with his breathless displays in midfield - scoring 19 goals in the 2010-11 season as he helped the team win promotion under Neil Warnock.
He later played for Fulham, AC Milan, Benfica and Genoa and is now competing the UAE with Sharjah FC.
Reflecting on his time at Spurs during an interview with talkSPORT, he said he might have gone in a different direction in hindsight because Arsenal had more French-speaking players.
'My first choice that I think was not good was - not to sign for Tottenham, because Tottenham is a good club - but at that time I had offers to go to Arsenal and it was a more French club with Arsene Wenger and a lot of French players.
'At Tottenham, I arrived in the dressing room with Robbie Keane and Dimitar Berbatov, big characters, difficult to get a chance. I followed Damien Comoli, he was at Arsenal, I should've gone to Arsenal, but suddenly he was at Tottenham and he brought me there.'
Taarabt was renowned for his incredible footwork and creative vision during his time in the Premier League, but he also made headlines for his poor attitude, workrate and off the pitch incidents.
Harry Redknapp once accused him of being overweight and unfit at QPR and once stormed off after being substituted against Fulham.
His former QPR boss Neil Warnock spoke to him live on air during the same interview and joked he would fine the player - admitting he could be "hard work" but praised his incredible ability on his day.
"Next time you come on, will you watch your language or I'll be fining you!" he jokingly told his former player. "I get people stopping me in the street thanking me for that year [2010/11], saying: 'Adel, how good was he?'
"We had problems and you were hard work at times, but the pleasure that you gave me and the fans was fabulous."
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to 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. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
16 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Son Heung-min's emotional farewell to Spurs after completing record £19.5m transfer exit
Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed the sale of Son Heung-min to Los Angeles FC. The South Korea international has moved for the highest fee in Major League Soccer history, costing the Californian side around £19.5million, and shared an emotional farewell message to Spurs' fans. 'Well, to all the Spurs fans. I mean, it's such a hard decision that I will leave the Spurs family," the forward said. "It was one of the hardest decisions I've ever made. 'And, as I said, there'll be no forever. And I gave [my] all. I know it sounds very surprising. I know it sounds very hard. And, because I gave my all, I feel like I need a new chapter.' During Spurs' pre-season tour of his native South Korea, Son confirmed his time in North London was coming to an end. He had spent the last decade with the team, helping them win the Europa League at the end of last season. His move to LAFC will see him reunited with former Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris. The French international joined the MLS side in 2024 and has been their regular No.1 since moving across the Atlantic. Please check back regularly for updates on this developing story.
Daily Mirror
16 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Mikel Arteta makes Viktor Gyokeres admission after noticing reaction to Arsenal team-mates
Viktor Gyokeres was subbed after an hour but Mikel Arteta has no doubts he'll be in a position to hit the ground running this season, starting against Manchester United Mikel Arteta insists Viktor Gyokeres will be "100 per cent" mentally ready to kickstart Arsenal's Premier League campaign with a bang against Manchester United. The Swede huffed and puffed on his first Emirates outing on Wednesday night as the Gunners were beaten 3-2 at home by Villarreal in their penultimate pre-season fixture. Gyokeres was subbed after an hour but Arteta has no doubts he'll be in a position to hit the ground running this season, starting at Old Trafford. Arteta said of his marquee £63.7million summer capture: "I think mentally and understanding what he needs to do, he will be 100 per cent or more because he's so willing. He's so confident as well that he can deliver for us straight away, I have no doubt he'll be in a really good place." Gyokeres has endured a gruelling, whirlwind summer, but Arteta is adamant he noticed immediate chemistry with his new Arsenal team-mates on the pitch. When asked how long it may take to click for the 27-year-old striker, the Spaniard added: "I hope just days, every day in training I think he's getting a really good feeling. "I think he's built connections as well outside of the pitch, which I think is really important with players that are going to help him to be in the position that he needs to get in. "He hasn't trained really with the team for two months, so he's done five or six sessions now before today. I think he will take another step in the right direction on Saturday and he will be in a better condition." Teenage sensation Max Dowman dazzled from the bench but Arteta revealed the 15-year-old starlet is now heading on holiday for a well-earned break. The Arsenal boss was unable to provide any assurances that Dowman will be making his top-flight debut imminently ahead of the new season. He said of the nimble attacker: "Let's see how it goes. Let's go into Saturday, into his break as well. He needs a little break because he hasn't had any holidays really. So, in the next few days, he's going to have a break, which I think he needs. Then the following week, he'll be ready again to go." Arsenal play Athletic Club on Saturday in their final pre-season fixture before they gear up for the trip to Manchester United. Arteta has no doubt his side are the finished article - they now just have to prove it after three second-place finishes. He continued: "We know we need to make the next step and we're going to be better. The same as any other team, when you look at the competition, the pieces on the puzzle that they're adding, some of the ones are big ones as well. So, we're all trying to be at our best and ready to compete to win the Premier League." Kai Havertz (muscle issue), Riccardo Calafiori and Leandro Trossard could return to face Athletic Club this weekend.
The Guardian
16 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Viktor Gyökeres labours as Arsenal fall short against Villarreal and Pépé
New season, same old Arsenal? On an evening when Viktor Gyökeres was meant to announce himself as the solution to all of Mikel Arteta's problems, instead it was a figure from Arsenal's past who stole the show. At £72m – £8m more than they may end up paying for the Sweden striker – Nicolas Pépé remains Arsenal's record signing, a few months before Arteta replaced Unai Emery in 2019. Most of the fans who packed out the Emirates Stadium for this pre-season friendly will not have many fond memories of the Ivory Coast international's spell in north London, but he clearly had a point to prove here. Pépé's early goal and strikes from Karl Etta Eyong and the former Tottenham loanee Arnaut Danjuma sealed an impressive win for Villarreal, and left Arteta with plenty of questions to resolve before Arsenal's opening game of the season next weekend against Manchester United. Gyökeres, who is the headline act of a spending spree that could exceed £200m, looked short of match fitness as he toiled up front for 62 minutes. Only the introduction of the 15‑year‑old Max Dowman for his first senior appearance at the Emirates Stadium could lift the mood as he won a penalty that allowed Martin Ødegaard to make the scoreline more respectable. But there were more reasons to be fearful for Arsenal's fans as they aim to improve on finishing as Premier League runners-up for a third successive season. There had been a sense of anticipation in the late summer air as they queued patiently at the club shop before kick‑off, with several already sporting Gyökeres's new replica No 14 shirt. Having made his debut last week as a substitute against Spurs in their 1-0 defeat in Hong Kong, the Sweden striker is still playing catch‑up having stayed away from pre-season with Sporting as he attempted to force through his move. But he was included in a strong starting lineup, with Ethan Nwaneri deputising for Ødegaard alongside the new signing Christian Nørgaard and Mikel Merino in midfield. The match programme featured pictures of all six of Arsenal's summer arrivals on the cover, with Martín Zubimendi, Cristhian Mosquera, Noni Madueke and Kepa Arrizabalaga on the bench. Arteta used his programme notes to express his belief they 'will add quality and depth to the squad, which is what we are going to need throughout the season'. Arteta added: 'We know what our targets are and what we want to achieve this season – there is a big belief in our ability to achieve that. We have been very, very close the last few seasons and the whole team is going to determine whether we achieve that or not.' It was Nwaneri, who has signed a new contract this summer, who caught the eye early on. A cross from Merino that was meant for the forehead of Gyökeres instead found Bukayo Saka at the back post and he could not direct the ball on target. But with only Gabriel Magalhães missing from his first-choice back four, Arteta will be concerned with how easily Villarreal established a 2-0 lead. Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion Pépé, who joined Villarreal last year on a free transfer and is set to be joined by the former Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey after he agreed an initial one-year deal, was unlucky when his shot came back off the post before he eventually forced the ball past David Raya when Arsenal failed to clear. The Spaniard was left fuming with his defence when Etta Eyong doubled the Spanish side's lead just after the half-hour, although Nørgaard immediately pulled one back from a corner. Like last season when they struggled from a lack of creativity, that seemed to be Arsenal's best chance of scoring as Gyökeres was forced to live off scraps before the break. Mosquera and Zubimendi were summoned for the second half and there was an immediate improvement. Gyökeres finally had a sight of goal when played in by Merino but his shot was well saved by Luiz Júnior. It needed Dowman, who has been hailed as a 'special talent' by Arteta despite his tender years, to save some face after Danjuma had raced clear to make it 3-1, although Madueke missed the decisive penalty in a post‑match shootout.
