Many football stars have become legends after playing in the Premier League. Meanwhile, some players have graced the top-tier football league with incredible talent but have failed to live up to those expectations. On the other hand, there are some players who have shown glimpses of their extraordinary talent without much success and have become cult heroes for football fans. Many would consider Moroccan midfielder Adel Taarabt in the third category with the Benfica man having represented Tottenham Hotspur and Queens Park Rangers (QPR) in England. Taarabt scored many stunners for QPR and one of them has gone viral on social media this week.
The video is from a EFL Championship match in October 2009 between QPR and Preston.
In the video, Taarabt begins with receiving the ball on his chest on the halfway line from his team's goalkeeper. His first touch was so exquisite that he managed to bamboozle two opposition players with ease and then dribbled past more players before curling it into the top-right corner from outside the Preston box.
Here is the video:
Taarabt signed for Tottenham Hotspur as a 17-years-old from French side Lens. He only managed to feature in 16 matches for Tottenham before joining QPR. First, he joined them on loan before sealing a permanent transfer.
His best season came during the 2010-11 campaign when he smashed 19 goals to help QPR win the Championship title and qualify for the Premier League.
Unfortunately, since then the 32-year-old failed to replicate such form in the Premier League and also had disappointing loan spells in Fulham and Milan. He finally moved to Benfica in 2015 and remains there until now.