Tag: tottenham

The yin and yang of Paul Gascoigne and Gary Lineker

This feature is part of Duology The heavy touch. The realisation flickers across the face; disbelief mixed with desperation to rectify the mistake. The decision to commit to winning the ball back…

The rise and fall of Mido, Egypt’s volatile son

BACK WHEN I WAS NINE YEARS OLD, we had a family vacation in England. As we were walking down the street in Cobham, Surrey, my father spotted a couple of Chelsea players,…

Ledley King and the art of cultured defending

THE WORD ‘LEGEND’ IS THROWN ABOUT IN MODERN FOOTBALL too frequently for some. The criteria for becoming a club legend these days seems to be to simply stick around for a prolonged…

Dimitar Berbatov and the golden touch of perfection

If one were to step into the boots of Dimitar Berbatov, the scene would perhaps play out like something from Inception; players sprint at walking pace, their faces contorted with exertion, each…

Gareth Bale: the man who redefined Welsh football’s future

Illustration by Federico Manasse When Gareth Bale struck the ball from 30 yards towards England goalkeeper Joe Hart, there was a pause of tentative expectation from the watching Wales fans. It felt…

Peter Crouch: the most unlikely member of the 100 club

All logic dictates that Peter Crouch should not have had a particularly successful career. That is not to say he lacks talent – as the old and tired maxim goes, “he’s got…

Would the real Adel Taarabt please stand up

Blessed with more ability than most professional footballers could ever dream of, Adel Taarabt has spent more time believing his hype than generating it