Taarabt Calls Time On Legendary Career - Is He the Ultimate ‘Streets Won’t Forget’ Player?
Adel Taarabt, the One-of-a-Kind Footballer That We'll Never See Again
It’s everyone’s favourite category of footballer - the ‘streets won’t forget’ player’s, star’s so delicate and skillful on the ball it defied logic, and those who produced fabled seasons before dropping off the radar of fans entirely, leading people to ask, “What happened to him?” Players that took to the field carefree and unhindered by tactics, there to please the paying fans than the tactical boars in the dugout.
Michu, Wilfried Bony, Morten Gamst Pedersen, Giovanni - all of them could lay claim to the title of ultimate ‘streets won’t forget’ players, but none will ever be able to touch the true holder of the crown.
Adel Taarabt is always the name that rolls off the tongue last, almost out of respect, and after announcing his retirement from the professional game today, we felt it was only right to pay homage to one of the most naturally talented footballers to ever grace the Premier League - we doubt there will ever be another like him, at least given the way the modern game is going.
The ultimate ‘streets won’t forget’ baller 💫🤩
— EFL (@EFL) September 8, 2026
Adel Taarabt calls time on an incredible career 🙌#EFL pic.twitter.com/0JUZ56pGtM
The Moroccan Magician
The modern game is evolving increasingly away from dribblers, tricksters and adventurers - such is the level of tactical discipline expected from many managers these days that if a rogue hero puts a toe out of line, he is hooked, dropped, or otherwise maligned by swarms of keyboard warriors.
However, back in the mid-2000’s, the opposite was very much the case - the English top flight was jam-packed with on-ball technicians, flair players, and those willing to go against the grain to get a result. Jay-Jay Okocha, so good they named him twice, Mercurial Russian Andriy Arshavin, and screamer-scoring Tugay all became household names during this period.
In 2007, Taarabt joined the party, a little-known Moroccan brought by Tottenham from Lens after just two loan appearances at White Hart Lane. The kid had feet, and I mean serious feet. He may have only made nine appearances in total for the Spurs, but whilst not punctuated with goals, those cameos were littered with outrageously skillful moments.
Want the most disgusting nutmeg ever seen in the Premier League? Look no further than the moment Derby County’s Craig Fagan saw his career effectively ended by the silky-skilled assassin in 2008.
🚨Adel Taarabt has RETIRED from football
— Now Football (@Nowfootball) September 8, 2026
Throwback to when he even made his own teammates put their hands on their head in disbelief😍😮💨 pic.twitter.com/WzrgCSf1q4
It never truly worked out for Taarabt at Spurs, and his loan and then permanent move to QPR in 2010 was seen as an opportunity to truly adapt to the English game, the Championship being the ultimate testing ground for unproven talent.
He passed with flying colours - after scoring 8 in 48 across two loan spells at the club, Taarabt's first season as a permanent player was a spectacular one. In 44 games, the Moroccan netted 19 times, assisted a further 17, and wowed match-goers every other minute with his un-earthly talent. Backheels, step-overs, nutmegs galore and outstanding goals - there was no stopping the forward as he blasted his way through every second-tier defence he came across, winning Championship player of the year and the league title in one fell swoop.
Promoted back to the top flight, Taarabt’s ability by now was already the stuff of legend, but it seemed his style wasn’t accustomed to producing the same output in the Premier League - his ability to skin defenders never left him, but seven goals and seven assists in 61 top flight fixtures was a far cry from his success in the Championship.
Adel Abroad
After two top flight seasons at QPR, the second of which saw him and his side relegated, Taarabt moved across London to Fulham on loan in a bid to prove himself in the Premier League. However, 12 more prem appearances and 0 goals later, he was no more suited to the more brutal demands of the top flight than before, and was loaned out again, this time to AC Milan.
He did have one final crack at England’s first tier in 2014/15, playing seven times for QPR (again failing to notch a goal), but another relegation seemingly put an end to Taarabt’s Premier League dreams - it was time to move on.
He secured a permanent move to Portugal to join Benfica, and was shipped off on another Serie A loan move to Genoa. He started to find his game again - playing more regularly than he had in years, he notched four goal contributions for the Italian outfit, and the powers that be at Benfica clearly thought slotting him into the first team was worth a crack.
It worked wonders, Taarabt found his feet again, playing 129 games for the Portuguese giants over the next four seasons.
Though he only scored twice, this came down to a role change rather than a lack of goalscoring threat. Used as more of a playmaker, Taarabt’s quick feet and even quicker mind made him Benfica’s creator in chief. He notched 12 assists for the club, maintained high ratings across his time there, and though once again he had not provided the output he had in his younger years, this time it was for a good reason.
Eventually though, the Moroccan was going to slow down, and a move to Al-Nasr Sport Club in the UAE Pro League indicated that he was starting to wind down for retirement. It also marked a return to a more active attacking role, allowing him to exhibit his full range of abilities.
In the twilight of his career, Taarabt once again wowed fans with mad skills and mesmerising feet, and furthermore netted 26 goals and set up a further 15 as he embarked on last hurrah - he even lifted some silverware as he top-scored in the nations Super Cup.
His final move saw him stay within the UAE Pro League, as he moved to Sharjah Cultural Club to perform one last reminder of why football fans hold him so close to our hearts.
27 appearances, one goal and three assists later, Taarabt called time on his remarkable footballing story, a bona-fide great of the game.
🚨 Adel Taarabt has announced his retirement from professional football at the age of 37. 👋❤️
— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) September 8, 2026
The Moroccan ends his career with 500+ appearances for club and country and 169 goal contributions. 🇲🇦
🗣️ Taarabt: “Good moments, difficult moments, mistakes, great nights...… pic.twitter.com/qd4Gr5bl2j
He wasn’t loved for his trophy’s his consistent brilliance or his top flight brilliance - the affection was much rawer than that. He was treasured and cherished for his sense of adventure, his daring, the moments he provided and the ability he possessed that is diminishing by the day in the modern game.
Adel Taarabt, the streets remember…
Joe Ryan 
