Adel Taarabt
Encyclopedia
Adel Taarabt (born 24 May 1989) is a Moroccan footballer who plays for Queens Park Rangers
(QPR) as an Attacking midfielder and can also be used as a winger.
He began his playing career in France at Lens
before moving to English Premier League team Tottenham Hotspur
in 2007. He was unable to break into the first team at Spurs under either Juande Ramos or Harry Redknapp
and moved to QPR, initially on loan, in July 2009 and then permanently in August 2010. He quickly established himself at Loftus Road
and was made captain by manager Neil Warnock
at the start of the 2010–11 season. He represented France
at youth levels but opted to play for his native Morocco
at senior level making his debut in February 2009.
, Morocco
. At a young age, his family moved to Berre-l'Étang
, Bouches-du-Rhône
, France
. He began his career at Lens
in 2004, and played 14 games for RC Lens B
in the Championnat de France amateur. He made one first team appearance for Lens during the 2006–07 season.
, which ended as a 4–3 victory. He made a second appearance in the 1–0 loss to Chelsea
, again as a second half substitute, playing as a striker.
Tottenham signed Taarabt permanently on 8 June. Upon signing for Tottenham he was hyped as the next Zinedine Zidane
. He scored his first goal for Spurs in a pre-season friendly against Stevenage Borough
on 7 July. He made his first appearance of the 2007–08 season with Tottenham against Derby County
in the 4–0 win on 18 August, which he entered at the 70th minute.
At the beginning of the 2008–09
season, Taarabt was not given a squad number by then manager Juande Ramos, though he was given his old number when Harry Redknapp
took over team management.
On 13 March 2009, he joined Championship
team Queens Park Rangers on loan until the end of the season. He scored his first goal for QPR in a 2–1 win over Bristol City
. His loan spell was cut short after he suffered a knee injury which required surgery.
Taarabt rejoined QPR on a season-long loan for the 2009–10
season on 23 July 2009. On 1 October, Taarabt scored a "wonder strike" in a match against Preston North End
. He collected the ball on his chest inside the QPR half and dribbling 20 yards past three players and curled in a shot from 25 yards. This led Jim Magilton
to label Taarabt as a "genius" and the goal is seen as one of the Championship's finest.
Tottenham confirmed in October 2009 that Taarabt could stay at QPR for the season providing that a Premier League club did not make a bid for him in the January transfer window. QPR were unable to make the transfer a permanent one because they could not afford the £4.5 million valuation placed on Taarabt by Spurs.
In March 2010, Taarabt was quoted in an interview as being sorry that he signed for Tottenham. He had said "The big mistake was to sign for Tottenham and not go to another club when I first came over". He stated that he wished he had signed for Arsenal instead but had opted for Spurs after Damien Comolli moved from being a scout at Arsenal to director of football
at Spurs. He stated that he felt he would have been given more chances to play at Arsenal and was advised at the time not to sign for Spurs by his friends Armand Traore
and Abou Diaby
, who play for Arsenal.
Taarabt went on to state his intention to sign for one of the top clubs in Spain "I hope to be playing for one of the top four in Spain next season – Real Madrid
, Barcelona, Valencia or Sevilla. I have contact with good teams and I know that they want me. Now I just have to hope they can agree a deal with Tottenham."
In January 2011, Taarabt was interviewed by the Evening Standard
, in which he stated: "The man who took me to Tottenham was Damien Comolli
, now at Liverpool. He was at Arsenal then. But, when I was going to go to Arsenal, he moved to Tottenham. He told me: 'Come to Tottenham. We want to do like they do at Arsenal and take the best young players in the world. You're going to have a better chance there.' I believed him. This was a mistake and I regret it. Tottenham tried to do it like Arsenal but it's a different culture. I would have had a better chance at Arsenal. I would progress with Arsene Wenger. He is a legend in France, one of the best managers in the world".
, a penalty during the 4–0 win on 7 August 2010. Taarabt's performances for QPR during August 2010 earned him the Championship's Player of the Month award, as QPR topped the table.
In August 2010, with club captain Martin Rowlands
a long-term injury victim and stand-in captain Fitz Hall
unavailable, Taarabt was named captain. In December, manager Neil Warnock
revealed that Taarabt would continue to serve as captain even after Hall's return from injury.
Taarabt was influential in QPR remaining unbeaten for the first 19 games of the season, equaling a club best dating back to 1972, before losing to Watford
in December 2010. He scored key goals in games against the likes of Reading
, and fellow title contenders Cardiff City
as well as a 'stunning' brace against Preston North End
, and another two goals on Boxing Day to defeat eventual play-off winners Swansea City
4-0.
By the end of February 2011, Taarabt had scored 15 Championship goals for the season. The 15th was scored from the penalty spot in a 3–0 away win at Middlesbrough. On 30 April, Taarabt scored the first of the goals in a 2–0 win over Watford
to help crown his team as champions and securing promotion to the Premier League. Taarabt has earned the nickname "Disco Adel" for his style of football.
, saying "I felt the time was right when I was given this opportunity". On 11 February 2009 Taarabt played his first international match with Morocco in a friendly against Czech Republic
in Casablanca
. He also made an appearance on 29 March during Morocco's 2010 FIFA World Cup
qualifier
2–1 defeat against Gabon
.
Taarabt scored his first international goal on his first start on 31 March 2009 in a friendly 2–0 victory over Angola
. On 6 September 2009 he scored his first goal in a competitive international match against Togo
in the 2010 World Cup qualification
after he broke through the opposing defence in stoppage time.
On 3 June 2011, Taarabt decided to end his international career the day after being dropped to the bench for an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Algeria
.He reneged on that decision, returning on October 9, 2011 for their last qualifier against Tanzania
. Taarabt scored a free-kick that would end up being the winning goal and sealing Morocco's qualification.
|-
|-
Taarabt credits his parents with keeping his religion in his life, with his choice to play professional football.
:
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
(QPR) as an Attacking midfielder and can also be used as a winger.
He began his playing career in France at Lens
RC Lens
Racing Club de Lens is a French association football club based in the northern city of Lens in the Pas-de-Calais department. Its nickname, sang et or , comes from its traditional colours of red and gold. Their primary rivals are their northern neighbors Lille OSC, whom they contest the Derby du...
before moving to English Premier League team Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
in 2007. He was unable to break into the first team at Spurs under either Juande Ramos or Harry Redknapp
Harry Redknapp
Henry James "Harry" Redknapp is a former English footballer who has enjoyed a long career in football management starting in 1983 with Bournemouth. He is the current manager of Tottenham Hotspur....
and moved to QPR, initially on loan, in July 2009 and then permanently in August 2010. He quickly established himself at Loftus Road
Loftus Road
Loftus Road is a football stadium in Shepherd's Bush, London. It is home to the English football team Queens Park Rangers of the Premier League and has a capacity of around 18,500. The four stands are called the Loftus Road End , Ellerslie Road Stand, South Africa Road Stand and the School End,...
and was made captain by manager Neil Warnock
Neil Warnock
Neil Warnock is an English former footballer who is currently manager of English Premier League club Queens Park Rangers....
at the start of the 2010–11 season. He represented France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
at youth levels but opted to play for his native Morocco
Morocco national football team
The Morocco national football team , nicknamed أسود الأطلس , is the national team of Morocco and is managed by Eric Gerets. Winners of the African Nations Cup in 1976, they were the first African team to win a group at the World Cup, which they did in 1986, finishing ahead of Portugal, Poland, and...
at senior level making his debut in February 2009.
Early career
Taarabt was born in FesFes
Fes or Fez is the second largest city of Morocco, after Casablanca, with a population of approximately 1 million . It is the capital of the Fès-Boulemane region....
, Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
. At a young age, his family moved to Berre-l'Étang
Berre-l'Étang
Berre-l'Étang is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southern France.-Population:-References:*...
, Bouches-du-Rhône
Bouches-du-Rhône
Bouches-du-Rhône is a department in the south of France named after the mouth of the Rhône River. It is the most populous department of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Its INSEE and postal code is 13.-History of the department:...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. He began his career at Lens
RC Lens
Racing Club de Lens is a French association football club based in the northern city of Lens in the Pas-de-Calais department. Its nickname, sang et or , comes from its traditional colours of red and gold. Their primary rivals are their northern neighbors Lille OSC, whom they contest the Derby du...
in 2004, and played 14 games for RC Lens B
RC Lens
Racing Club de Lens is a French association football club based in the northern city of Lens in the Pas-de-Calais department. Its nickname, sang et or , comes from its traditional colours of red and gold. Their primary rivals are their northern neighbors Lille OSC, whom they contest the Derby du...
in the Championnat de France amateur. He made one first team appearance for Lens during the 2006–07 season.
Tottenham Hotspur
Taarabt signed for Tottenham Hotspur on a long-term loan on 2 January 2007 after the club offered to quickly integrate him into the first team to offer him maximum playing time. Within two months he made his first senior appearance in a Tottenham shirt, entering as a 87th minute substitute against local rivals West Ham UnitedWest Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
, which ended as a 4–3 victory. He made a second appearance in the 1–0 loss to Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
, again as a second half substitute, playing as a striker.
Tottenham signed Taarabt permanently on 8 June. Upon signing for Tottenham he was hyped as the next Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Yazid Zidane is a retired French footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. Zidane was a leading figure of a generation of French players that won the 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship...
. He scored his first goal for Spurs in a pre-season friendly against Stevenage Borough
Stevenage Borough F.C.
Stevenage Football Club is an English football club based in Stevenage, Hertfordshire. The club currently participate in League One, the third tier of English football, having won promotion from League Two in the 2010–11 season...
on 7 July. He made his first appearance of the 2007–08 season with Tottenham against Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
in the 4–0 win on 18 August, which he entered at the 70th minute.
At the beginning of the 2008–09
2008–09 in English football
The 2008–09 season was the 129th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* West Bromwich Albion, Stoke City and Hull City were all playing in the Premier League after winning promotion from the Championship last season. Stoke returned to the top flight after a 23-year absence, while...
season, Taarabt was not given a squad number by then manager Juande Ramos, though he was given his old number when Harry Redknapp
Harry Redknapp
Henry James "Harry" Redknapp is a former English footballer who has enjoyed a long career in football management starting in 1983 with Bournemouth. He is the current manager of Tottenham Hotspur....
took over team management.
On 13 March 2009, he joined Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
team Queens Park Rangers on loan until the end of the season. He scored his first goal for QPR in a 2–1 win over Bristol City
Bristol City F.C.
Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City...
. His loan spell was cut short after he suffered a knee injury which required surgery.
Taarabt rejoined QPR on a season-long loan for the 2009–10
2009–10 in English football
The 2009–10 season was the 130th season of competitive football in England.The season began on 8 August 2009 for the Championship, League One and League Two and 15 August 2009 for the Premier League...
season on 23 July 2009. On 1 October, Taarabt scored a "wonder strike" in a match against Preston North End
Preston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...
. He collected the ball on his chest inside the QPR half and dribbling 20 yards past three players and curled in a shot from 25 yards. This led Jim Magilton
Jim Magilton
James "Jim" Magilton is a Northern Irish former footballer and manager, who is currently employed as Football Consultant at Shamrock Rovers F.C. after being appointed on 6 July 2011....
to label Taarabt as a "genius" and the goal is seen as one of the Championship's finest.
Tottenham confirmed in October 2009 that Taarabt could stay at QPR for the season providing that a Premier League club did not make a bid for him in the January transfer window. QPR were unable to make the transfer a permanent one because they could not afford the £4.5 million valuation placed on Taarabt by Spurs.
In March 2010, Taarabt was quoted in an interview as being sorry that he signed for Tottenham. He had said "The big mistake was to sign for Tottenham and not go to another club when I first came over". He stated that he wished he had signed for Arsenal instead but had opted for Spurs after Damien Comolli moved from being a scout at Arsenal to director of football
Director of football
"Director of football" is a term describing a senior management figure at a football club, most commonly used in Europe. The exact nature of the role is often unclear and extremely variable and causes much debate in the sports media...
at Spurs. He stated that he felt he would have been given more chances to play at Arsenal and was advised at the time not to sign for Spurs by his friends Armand Traore
Armand Traoré
Armand Mohamed Traoré is a French-born Senegalese footballer who plays for Queens Park Rangers as a left back. Traoré is a product of the famous Arsenal Academy, he has also represented France at under-19 and under-21 levels, but has since opted to represent his parents' native country, Senegal,...
and Abou Diaby
Abou Diaby
Vassiriki Abou Diaby , commonly known as Abou Diaby, is a French footballer who plays for English club Arsenal in the Premier League and the France national team...
, who play for Arsenal.
Taarabt went on to state his intention to sign for one of the top clubs in Spain "I hope to be playing for one of the top four in Spain next season – Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
, Barcelona, Valencia or Sevilla. I have contact with good teams and I know that they want me. Now I just have to hope they can agree a deal with Tottenham."
In January 2011, Taarabt was interviewed by the Evening Standard
Evening Standard
The Evening Standard, now styled the London Evening Standard, is a free local daily newspaper, published Monday–Friday in tabloid format in London. It is the dominant regional evening paper for London and the surrounding area, with coverage of national and international news and City of London...
, in which he stated: "The man who took me to Tottenham was Damien Comolli
Damien Comolli
Damien Comolli is the Director of Football for Liverpool. He has previously worked as a football coach and scout, with AS Monaco, AS Saint-Étienne, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur. He speaks fluent English, Spanish and French.He was born in Béziers, France, and played as a youth team player at AS...
, now at Liverpool. He was at Arsenal then. But, when I was going to go to Arsenal, he moved to Tottenham. He told me: 'Come to Tottenham. We want to do like they do at Arsenal and take the best young players in the world. You're going to have a better chance there.' I believed him. This was a mistake and I regret it. Tottenham tried to do it like Arsenal but it's a different culture. I would have had a better chance at Arsenal. I would progress with Arsene Wenger. He is a legend in France, one of the best managers in the world".
Queens Park Rangers
Taarabt signed permanently for QPR on 4 August 2010 on a three-year contract for an undisclosed fee. He scored his first goal as a permanent QPR player during the first game of QPR's 2010–11 Football League Championship campaign against BarnsleyBarnsley F.C.
Barnsley Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Nicknamed the Tykes, they were founded in 1887 under the name Barnsley St. Peter's...
, a penalty during the 4–0 win on 7 August 2010. Taarabt's performances for QPR during August 2010 earned him the Championship's Player of the Month award, as QPR topped the table.
In August 2010, with club captain Martin Rowlands
Martin Rowlands
Martin Charles Rowlands is an English - born - Irish footballer who plays for Wycombe Wanderers F.C on loan from Queens Park Rangers F.C...
a long-term injury victim and stand-in captain Fitz Hall
Fitz Hall
Fitz Benjamin Hall is an English footballer who plays for Queens Park Rangers. He is a central defender who can also play as a central midfielder. His nickname is "One Size" Fitz Hall, a pun on the phrase "one size fits all"...
unavailable, Taarabt was named captain. In December, manager Neil Warnock
Neil Warnock
Neil Warnock is an English former footballer who is currently manager of English Premier League club Queens Park Rangers....
revealed that Taarabt would continue to serve as captain even after Hall's return from injury.
Taarabt was influential in QPR remaining unbeaten for the first 19 games of the season, equaling a club best dating back to 1972, before losing to Watford
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
in December 2010. He scored key goals in games against the likes of Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
, and fellow title contenders Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
as well as a 'stunning' brace against Preston North End
Preston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...
, and another two goals on Boxing Day to defeat eventual play-off winners Swansea City
Swansea City A.F.C.
Swansea City Association Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. One of the most successful clubs in Welsh football, it has won 10 Welsh Cups and led the English Football League First Division in December 1981, before finishing the season in 6th position...
4-0.
By the end of February 2011, Taarabt had scored 15 Championship goals for the season. The 15th was scored from the penalty spot in a 3–0 away win at Middlesbrough. On 30 April, Taarabt scored the first of the goals in a 2–0 win over Watford
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
to help crown his team as champions and securing promotion to the Premier League. Taarabt has earned the nickname "Disco Adel" for his style of football.
International career
Taarabt represented France at under-16, under-17 and under-18 levels, but opted to play for MoroccoMorocco national football team
The Morocco national football team , nicknamed أسود الأطلس , is the national team of Morocco and is managed by Eric Gerets. Winners of the African Nations Cup in 1976, they were the first African team to win a group at the World Cup, which they did in 1986, finishing ahead of Portugal, Poland, and...
, saying "I felt the time was right when I was given this opportunity". On 11 February 2009 Taarabt played his first international match with Morocco in a friendly against Czech Republic
Czech Republic national football team
The Czech Republic national football team represents the Czech Republic in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of the Czech Republic, the governing body for football in the Czech Republic. Their current head coach is Michal Bílek...
in Casablanca
Casablanca
Casablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture...
. He also made an appearance on 29 March during Morocco's 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
qualifier
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
The qualification competition for the 2010 FIFA World Cup was a series of tournaments organised by the six FIFA confederations. Each confederation — the AFC , CAF , CONCACAF , CONMEBOL , OFC , and UEFA — was allocated a certain number of the 32 places at the tournament...
2–1 defeat against Gabon
Gabon national football team
The Gabon national football team, nicknamed Azingo Nationale, is the national team of Gabon and is controlled by the Fédération Gabonaise de Football...
.
Taarabt scored his first international goal on his first start on 31 March 2009 in a friendly 2–0 victory over Angola
Angola national football team
The Angola national football team, nicknamed Palancas Negras , is the national team of Angola and is controlled by the Federação Angolana de Futebol. Angola reached 45th in the FIFA Rankings in July 2002...
. On 6 September 2009 he scored his first goal in a competitive international match against Togo
Togo national football team
The Togo national football team, nicknamed Les Eperviers The Togo national football team, nicknamed Les Eperviers The Togo national football team, nicknamed Les Eperviers (The Sparrow Hawks, is controlled by the Fédération Togolaise de Football.They played at the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Their team bus...
in the 2010 World Cup qualification
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification - CAF Third Round
This page provides the summaries of the CAF Third Round matches for the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification. The 20 qualifiers were split into 5 groups of four, in the draw held on 22 October 2008 in Zürich, Switzerland...
after he broke through the opposing defence in stoppage time.
On 3 June 2011, Taarabt decided to end his international career the day after being dropped to the bench for an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Algeria
Algeria national football team
The Algeria national football team , nicknamed الأفنــاك, Les Fennecs , represents Algeria in association football and is controlled by the Fédération Algérienne de Football. Algeria's home ground is the Stade 5 Juillet 1962 in Algiers and their head coach is Vahid Halilhodžić.Algeria has qualified...
.He reneged on that decision, returning on October 9, 2011 for their last qualifier against Tanzania
Tanzania national football team
The Tanzania national football team represents Tanzania in association football and is controlled by the Tanzania Football Federation, the governing body for football in Tanzania. Tanzania's home ground is Benjamin Mkapa national stadium in Dar-es-Salaam and their head coach is Jan Børge Poulsen....
. Taarabt scored a free-kick that would end up being the winning goal and sealing Morocco's qualification.
Club
| Club | Season | League | Cups | Europe | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| RC Lens RC Lens Racing Club de Lens is a French association football club based in the northern city of Lens in the Pas-de-Calais department. Its nickname, sang et or , comes from its traditional colours of red and gold. Their primary rivals are their northern neighbors Lille OSC, whom they contest the Derby du... |
2006–07 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham Hotspur F.C. Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane.... |
2006–07 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2007–08 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2008–09 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
| Total | 9 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 16 | 0 | |
| Queens Park Rangers | 2008–09 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | 7 | 1 | |
| 2009–10 2009–10 Football League Championship The Football League Championship season 2009–10 is the sixth season of the league under its current title and eighteenth season under its current league division format... |
41 | 7 | 3 | 0 | – | 44 | 7 | ||
| 2010–11 2010–11 Football League Championship The 2010–11 Football League Championship was the seventh season of the league under its current name and nineteenth season under its current league division format... |
44 | 19 | 0 | 0 | – | 44 | 19 | ||
| 2011–12 2011–12 Premier League The 2011–12 Premier League is the twentieth season of the Premier League since its establishment in 1992. The 2011–12 fixtures were announced on 17 June 2011 at 9:00 BST. The season began on 13 August 2011 and is due to end on 13 May 2012... |
5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 6 | 0 | ||
| Total | 97 | 27 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 101 | 27 | |
| Career Total | 107 | 27 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 118 | 27 | |
International goals
|-|-
|-
Personal life
Taarabt is a Muslim and stated in an interview in June 2010 that this religion has had a significant impact on his life as a footballer:"Being a Muslim has had a big impact on my professional life. As Muslims, we don't drink alcohol, we don't smoke, so essentially we've become healthier, more professional footballers because of our lifestyle. Before every game, I perform salah. Without it, I just don't feel confident. I make sure I pray after a match, too – to give thanks and be grateful for the stamina and strength God graced me with."
Taarabt credits his parents with keeping his religion in his life, with his choice to play professional football.
Club
Queens Park RangersQueens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
:
- ChampionshipFootball League ChampionshipThe Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
: 2010–112010–11 Football League ChampionshipThe 2010–11 Football League Championship was the seventh season of the league under its current name and nineteenth season under its current league division format...
Individual
- ChampionshipFootball League ChampionshipThe Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
Player of the Month: August 2010 - Football League Player of the Year: 2010–112010–11 Football League ChampionshipThe 2010–11 Football League Championship was the seventh season of the league under its current name and nineteenth season under its current league division format...