Nabil Bentaleb came through the ranks at Tottenham, having arrived as a youngster from French football.
The midfielder fought his way into the first team and at several points he looked like he’d have a good Spurs career ahead of him. That wasn’t to be, and he left on loan for Schalke in 2016, before the move from Tottenham was later made permanent.
It wouldn’t be a surprise if the midfielder regrets ever hearing of the German club.
Things went well shortly after his arrival, with Lothar Matthäus, at that time a media pundit, saying Bentaleb was one of the best midfield prospects in Germany, and hinting that Bayern Munich should be interested in the future.
Bentaleb was one of them, and it seemed like someone at Schalke was happy to throw players under the bus if it meant them swerving some of the blame for the club’s situation.
Eventually, the now 27-year-old has put his Germany experience behind him, and signed for Angers in January. To get up to speed he’s been training with their reserve side, and in an interview with L’Equipe, he was asked to comment on his downfall, from the heights at Tottenham, to where he is now.
Bentaleb explained: “The ego takes a hit, that’s for sure. But I know why I’m here. Maybe if I had gone straight with the professionals (at Angers) I would have burned myself.
“I took the time, and that’s fine, I feel good. Football is not lost, I did not stop for four years either.”
