Adel Taarabt facts for kids
Taarabt playing for Benfica in 2019
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Adel Taarabt | ||
| Date of birth | 24 May 1989 | ||
| Place of birth | Taza, Morocco | ||
| Height | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Attacking midfielder, left winger | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
Sharjah | ||
| Number | 49 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2004–2006 | Lens | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2006–2007 | Lens | 2 | (0) |
| 2007 | → Tottenham Hotspur (loan) | 2 | (0) |
| 2007–2009 | Tottenham Hotspur | 15 | (0) |
| 2009–2015 | Queens Park Rangers | 164 | (34) |
| 2013–2014 | → Fulham (loan) | 16 | (1) |
| 2014 | → AC Milan (loan) | 16 | (4) |
| 2015–2022 | Benfica | 129 | (2) |
| 2017–2018 | → Genoa (loan) | 28 | (2) |
| 2022–2025 | Al-Nasr | 74 | (30) |
| 2025– | Sharjah | 5 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2006 | France U17 | 3 | (2) |
| 2008 | France U19 | 3 | (0) |
| 2009–2022 | Morocco | 30 | (4) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 31 January 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 1 June 2022 |
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Adel Taarabt (Arabic: عادل تاعرابت) is a professional footballer from Morocco. He was born on May 24, 1989. He plays as an attacking midfielder or winger. Currently, he plays for UAE Pro League club Sharjah.
Adel Taarabt started his football journey in France with Lens. In 2007, he moved to the English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur. Later, in 2009, he joined Queens Park Rangers (QPR) on loan. He signed with QPR permanently in 2010 and became a key player for them.
After QPR was relegated in 2013, Taarabt went on loan to Fulham. He also had a loan spell with AC Milan in Italy. In 2015, he signed a long-term contract with the Portuguese club Benfica. Two years later, Benfica loaned him to the Italian team Genoa.
Taarabt played his first game for the Moroccan national team in February 2009. He scored his first international goal the next month. He also represented Morocco in the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.
Contents
Adel Taarabt's Football Journey
Starting Out in France
Adel Taarabt was born in Fez, Morocco. When he was young, his family moved to a small town in France called Berre-l'Étang. He began his football career at Lens in 2004. He played 14 matches for their reserve team. He also made one appearance for the main Lens team during the 2006–07 season.
Time at Tottenham Hotspur
When he was just 17, Taarabt joined Tottenham Hotspur on a loan deal in January 2007. The club promised him chances to play in the first team. Within two months, he played his first senior game for Spurs. He came on as a substitute in a 4–3 win against West Ham United on March 4.
Tottenham signed Taarabt permanently in June 2007. He scored his first goal for Spurs in a friendly match against Stevenage Borough. He played six games during the 2007–08 season.
At the start of the 2008–09 season, the manager at the time, Juande Ramos, did not give Taarabt a squad number. He was also not allowed to train with the first team. When Harry Redknapp became manager, Taarabt got his old number back. However, he only played one Premier League game that season.
Playing for Queens Park Rangers
In March 2009, Taarabt joined Championship club Queens Park Rangers (QPR) on loan. He stayed until the end of the 2008–09 season. He scored his first goal for QPR in a 2–1 win against Bristol City. His loan ended early because of a knee injury.
Becoming a Key Player at QPR
On July 23, 2009, Taarabt returned to QPR for a season-long loan for the 2009–10 season. In October, he scored an amazing goal against Preston North End. He dribbled past three players and scored from far away.
Tottenham confirmed that Taarabt could stay at QPR for the season. However, QPR could not afford to buy him permanently at that time.
In August 2010, Taarabt officially signed a three-year contract with QPR. This move turned out to be a great deal for QPR. Taarabt scored 19 goals in 44 league games that season. His skills and exciting play made him a fan favorite. He won the Championship Player of the Year award. He was also named in the Championship's best team.
Premier League Challenges
The 2011–12 season was Taarabt's first real chance to play regularly in the Premier League. There was a lot of excitement for both QPR and Taarabt. However, there were rumors that he might leave, with clubs like Paris Saint-Germain interested.
Taarabt found it hard to play as well as he had the previous season. By November, he had not scored any goals despite many shots. His attitude sometimes caused problems, and his teammates, like Joey Barton, criticized him. QPR manager Neil Warnock even said he would consider selling Taarabt if the right offer came.
Despite these challenges, Taarabt's performance improved later in the season. On March 31, he scored the first goal in QPR's win over Arsenal. He was also named Man of the Match. He then scored a winning free-kick against his old club, Tottenham, on April 21.
2012–13 Season Highlights
On July 11, 2012, Taarabt signed a new three-year contract with QPR. On October 1, 2012, he scored his first goal of the season against West Ham United. He scored another goal against West Bromwich Albion on October 6.
On December 15, he scored both goals in QPR's first win of the season, a 2–1 victory over Fulham. His second goal was a fantastic dribble and finish. Manager Harry Redknapp praised his performance, calling it "one of the all-time great performances." On January 2, 2013, in QPR's win against Chelsea, Taarabt played as a striker. He was named Man of the Match and set up the only goal.
Loan Spells: Fulham and AC Milan
Taarabt joined Fulham on a season-long loan on August 7, 2013. He played his first game for Fulham against Sunderland. He scored his first goal for the club in the League Cup against Burton Albion.
On January 30, 2014, Taarabt moved to AC Milan in Italy on loan until the end of the season. He scored his first goal for Milan just eight minutes into his debut against Napoli. He dribbled across half the pitch to score from outside the box. In February, he played his first game in the UEFA Champions League against Atlético Madrid.
Return to QPR and Benfica Move
After his loan spells, Taarabt returned to QPR in the summer of 2014. However, he struggled with his fitness. QPR manager Harry Redknapp publicly stated that Taarabt was "not fit to play football." Taarabt responded by saying Redknapp was "making excuses."
On June 12, 2015, Taarabt signed a five-year contract with Portuguese champions Benfica. The transfer fee was €4 million. On January 10, 2017, he joined Italian club Genoa on loan until June 2018.
After spending time with Benfica's reserve team, Taarabt returned to the first team in February 2019. He made his debut on March 30, 2019, coming on as a substitute in a 1–0 win over Tondela. During the 2019–20 season, Taarabt became a regular starter for Benfica. He played in a new position as a defensive midfielder. On September 1, 2022, Benfica announced that his contract had ended.
Playing in the UAE
On September 25, 2022, Taarabt joined Emirati club Al-Nasr SC. He played for them until January 22, 2025, when his contract ended by agreement.
On January 27, 2025, Taarabt joined another Emirati club, Sharjah.
International Career
Adel Taarabt played for France at different youth levels (under-16, under-17, and under-18). However, he chose to play for the Morocco senior team. He felt it was the right time when he got the chance. On February 11, 2009, he played his first international match for Morocco. It was a friendly game against the Czech Republic.
Taarabt scored his first international goal on March 31, 2009, in a friendly 2–0 win against Angola. On September 6, 2009, he scored his first goal in a competitive international match against Togo. This was during the 2010 World Cup qualification.
On June 3, 2011, Taarabt decided to stop playing for his country. This happened after he was left out of the starting team for an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Algeria. However, he changed his mind and returned on October 9, 2011. He scored a free-kick that helped Morocco qualify for the tournament. He made two substitute appearances in the group stage.
Taarabt was not chosen for Morocco's squad for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations. After five years without playing for his country, Taarabt was called back to the national team in September 2019. He returned as a substitute in a friendly match against Burkina Faso. Four days later, he started a game against Niger and helped set up the only goal.
Personal Life
Adel Taarabt is a Muslim. He has spoken about how his religion has influenced his life as a footballer. He mentioned that being a Muslim means not drinking alcohol or smoking. This helps him be healthier and more professional in his sport.
He also said that he performs salat (prayer) before every game. He feels more confident after praying. He also prays after matches to give thanks for his strength and energy. Taarabt credits his parents for helping him keep his religion in his life. He also thanks his father for encouraging him to become a professional footballer.
Career Achievements
Tottenham Hotspur
- EFL Cup: 2007–08 winner; runner-up: 2008–09
Queens Park Rangers
- EFL Championship: 2010–11 winner
Benfica
- Primeira Liga: 2018–19 winner
- Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 2019 winner
- Taça de Portugal runner-up: 2019–20, 2020–21
Sharjah
- AFC Champions League Two: 2024–25
Individual Awards
- PFA Team of the Year: 2010–11 Championship
- EFL Championship Player of the Month: August 2010
- EFL Championship Player of the Year: 2010–11
- EFL Championship Top assist provider: 2010–11
- UAE President's Cup Top scorer: 2023–24
See also
In Spanish: Adel Taarabt para niños
