Much like Moussa Sissoko and Etienne Capoue, Benjamin Stambouli is one of a growing list of French footballers who struggled to break into Tottenham’s midfield following their transfers to White Hart Lane.
Spending £5m on the then 24-year-old defensive midfielder, Tottenham managed to sell him one year later to Paris Saint-Germain for £7.3m.
Making just 25 appearances for Spurs during his time there, the now Schalke midfielder managed to score one goal, in a Europa League group stage 1-0 win over Partizan Belgrade.
Most would see the 11 months he spent in London as a waste, but Stambouli, speaking to Onze Mondial, likes to see the positives in life more than anything else.
He said: “I don’t think it was too early. It was still a nice experience. I take what I have to take from it. I had an incredible time in London.
“I discovered a new way of life there. English people are fabulous. If you’re lost in town, they help you, they show you the way. I love it there.”
Eventually returning to France, Stambouli found himself in a similar situation at the Parc des Princes, and Grzegorz Krychowiak’s arrival only made things worse for him, which why he sought another transfer, this time to Germany.
Things have gone slightly better there, as he made 38 appearances in all competitions this season.
