The streets will never forget the enigmatic maverick who was Abel Taabrat, a player with the potential to dazzle at the top echelons of European football, but held back by ego, ill-discipline and injuries. The silky Moroccan enlightened fans wherever he went, with his unpredictable skill and elegant movement but he was a nuisance for many of his managers over the years.
Taabrat made a breakthrough in the French league at Lens in 2006, but he was a restless and uncontrollable 17 year old who refused to accept being side-lined. He possessed an ambition to develop his talents and receive first team action and his wish was granted when Tottenham Hotspur signed him on loan in 2007. The Moroccan had been enticed by Sporting director Damien Comolli's pledge to integrate him into the first team at the London club.
"At Lens, I didn't have the chance to play. I want to play, it's as simple as that"
Abel Taabrat reflecting on his time at Lens
He represented the boyhood dream, a teenager who shared an infinite love for the beautiful game and treated the pitch like a school playground. Under Martin Jol, he instantly reiterated his potential and showed glimpses of the world class talent he had the capability of becoming. This fast-paced start to life at White Hart Lane, saw him seal a permeant move with the North London club .
Damien Comolli was inspired by Taabrat's quick development and impact at Spurs, where he was optimistic that Tottenham had discovered an "unbelievable talent".
Where did it go wrong?
Aged just 19, the attacker faced aversion early on in his career when the arrival of new manager Juande Ramos saw him outcast at Tottenham. Ramos disregarded the promising youngster in his plans and made the decision to ban him from first team training.
In 2009, the now 33 year old decided to rediscover his form, with a move to Queens Park Rangers on loan where he began to flourish given the freedom and belief by his new manager. However, it was cut-short because in April he suffered a severe torn cartilage in his knee which forced his parent club to prematurely end his loan stint.
However, the Al Nassr star had unfinished business at QPR and in the 2010-11 season he returned to the club for a fee in the region of £1m, signing a three year deal. Hear football fans in the Championship were gifted with a compilation of nutmegs and ball rolls, where Taabrat was voted the Championship player of the year and he scored 19 goals in 44 games.
Good times:
As a defender, he was a nightmare because he took pleasure in toying with the opposition and twisting them inside and out where he expressed a shear audacity on the pitch. It was the effortlessness and fluency of his trickery that made him so captivating to watch, it all looked natural to him, where even though he flaunted an arrogance on the field it never looked artificial.
The problem that restrained Taabrat from greatness was his ego, where he was never content letting his footballing ability do the talking and this created problems for him. In 2011, he tasted the Premier League with QPR but he struggled to adapt to the top tier and became unsettled when his captaincy was rescinded.
He preached that he felt destined to play in Spain and became infatuated with the prospect of joining a Barcelona or Real Madrid. In a press conference he disrespected Wolves, Stoke and Bolton by boasting that he was above them, as well as reiterating that he knew top clubs abroad wanted him.
That move never materialised, even though he was constantly linked with Paris Saint Germain and Napoli and he played a total of 109 games for QPR, scoring six goals.
One of his unforgettable moments was his "wonder goal" against Preston in 2009. QPR goalkeeper Radek Cerny lofted the ball upfield, which fell to Taabrat who killed the ball dead with his chest. Then, he began his voyage towards goal, mesmerising defenders with the edge of the unknown. After slipping the ball between the defenders legs, he unleashed a 25 yard curling strike into the top right corner to erupt Loftus Road.
Serial Loanee:
The player capped 30 times by his country, moved to Fulham on loan in 2013 followed by AC Milan the following year where he made his Champions League debut. While, he teased fans with individual moments he was restrained to just 26 appearances in those two years.
In 2015 he returned to QPR but it was short-lived as his relationship with Harry Rednapp deteriorated, leading to public criticism on Taabrat's fitness and work ethnic as well as a back and forth arguement in the media.
He left England permanently in 2015, joining Benfica for £4m where he spent a turbulent seven years before his contract was terminated this summer.
Ultimately, Taabrat will be best known at QPR where he was a catalyst for his team, with his positive influence on the pitch. If only he had been a more focused and motivated professional, rather than obsessing over money and fame he could have become one of the best footballers in the world. One thing for sure is that he is a player who adds character to the game and epitomises what football is all about.
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