'I played with Bale and Modric - but one Tottenham star outshone them'

When you cast your mind back to Tottenham in the late 2000s, names like Gareth Bale, Dimitar Berbatov and Luka Modric spring to mind. They were players who epitomised that period with their dynamism, finesse and game-changing quality.

Yet, hidden among them was a player who, at least according to former Spurs striker Darren Bent, eclipsed them all with the ball at his feet: Adel Taarabt.

Taarabt was one of the game's great enigmas - a prodigy hyped for stardom, whose sheer audacity and street-born creativity made him unmissable. His touch, imagination and effortless swagger even saw him likened to the great Zinedine Zidane.

But while the Moroccan's artistry was undeniable, turning flair into consistent end product often proved elusive, something Bent could never quite fathom. "It's a tough one because he had all the attributes," the 41-year-old told the Express. "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 first arrived in north London in January 2007 as an ambitious 17-year-old from Lens, brimming with potential. Initially just a loan signing, he showcased enough magic in training and reserve matches for Tottenham to make the deal permanent within half a year.

Still, his Spurs career never truly took off. Minutes on the pitch were limited, especially under Juande Ramos, and his reputation became clouded by accusations of attitude problems and his obvious gifts too often sat unused on the bench.

It wasn't until a switch to Championship side QPR that Taarabt's career properly began. At Loftus Road, he became the star attraction, thrilling fans with audacious flicks, mazy runs and long-range strikes. In 2011, he was central to the club's promotion push, inspiring the Rs back to the Premier League after more than a decade away.

Later came a loan at Fulham, where he briefly reunited with Bent, followed by a short adventure at European giants AC Milan. Eventually, he settled in Portugal with Benfica, where he spent five years and finally established himself with more consistency.

For Bent, Taarabt was always worth the effort. Yes, he was unpredictable, but beneath the mercurial talent was a likeable character who simply required the right coach to bring out his best.

"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 recalled. "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.

"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 prominent voice on talkSPORT, is part of the exclusive group of just 34 players to have scored 100 or more Premier League goals. He joined Spurs from Charlton in 2007 for a club-record £16.5million and went to score 25 goals in 79 matches before leaving for Sunderland in 2009 for the same price.

Darren Bent is raising awareness of The Football Association’s Silent Support Weekend. More information is available on the England Football website.

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