After Tottenham achieved their highest Premier League finish in 2006, a return to Europe awaited the North London club. Martin Jol wasted no time in bolstering his squad to add some much-needed depth and competition.
One of these signings was the quirky Benoit Assou-Ekotto, the latest player for Who Ate All The Pies. For those of you who are unaware, Who Ate All The Pies? is a regular feature that looks at individuals who played the game but in a very unconventional way.
Enjoying a sixteen-year career, he spent almost half this time playing for Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League, which consisted of one stint of Champions League football and two League Cup finals.
He struggled in his first few seasons at the Lilywhites. Dubbed one of the brightest talents in France, his performances on the pitch mimicked Tottenham’s overall slow start to 2006/07, before an injury saw him lose his place for the majority of his first two campaigns. An injury that helped give birth to the controversial Benoit Assou-Ekotto.
A dagger in the back of most football fans, the Cameroon international openly spoke about his views on the sport. Seeing football as a job rather than a passion, he looked at the game as a means to an end, a truthfulness I’ve come to respect.
The arrival of Harry Redknapp sparked some much-needed exuberance from the player, who was looking for a return to France. His most memorable performance in a Spurs shirt came in the 2009 Carling Cup Final as he was tasked to stop the then Premier League Player of the Year, Cristiano Ronaldo, who was left frustrated throughout. A performance that cemented Assou-Ekotto’s place as the club’s first-choice left-back.
An awkward player to face, his laid back attitude made him almost impervious to pressure. He’s the type of person who’d lose a game of Fifa, put the controller down and make a cup of tea. And this relaxed attitude helped the player stand out as Tottenham began to improve year on year.
A fan favourite of the club, he ended his career back in France, shortly after a brief spell with Queens Park Rangers, where he was reunited with the catalyst of his career, Harry Redknapp.
His biggest contribution at Tottenham has to be the resurgence of Gareth Bale’s career. Languishing on the fringes of the first team, the Welshman looked surplus to requirements. This was until the Cameroonian international left the side for the African Cup of Nations during the 09-10 season.
Gareth Bale started to excel in a Tottenham shirt and when Assou-Ekotto eventually returned, the Welsh captain was pushed into a more attacking role and the rest, they say, is history. Transforming from a one-time club jinx, who didn’t feature in a winning Tottenham side in his first twenty-four appearances, to a now world-class performer. For any Welsh or Real Madrid fans reading, I’d expect Benoit’s DMs to be filled with thank you messages in the next few days.
His time in England was strange, to say the least. An oyster card in his pocket was one of his prized possessions whilst in the nation’s capital. Heavily involved in the community, he regularly rode public transport, getting his hair cut on the Tottenham high street, refusing to hide away like many in his profession. It’s safe to say you can thank the local community for the left-back’s eccentric hairstyles.
A thrifty individual, his mum-like bargain senses were always on alert. Whilst at St Etienne in the latter stages of his career, the player claimed to refuse sponsored boots, choosing instead to trawl eBay, spending as little as £23. A multi-million-pound contract, paying bottom line prices for haircuts and boots, he gives the impression he hides his money underneath his mattress.
The maverick paints a picture of the type of guy who asks for socks for Christmas, purely out of practicality or is overjoyed with a £5 spending limit for Secret Santa.
Though there’s nothing thrifty in regards to one of the player’s true passions in collecting vintage and modern-day cars. A collection which he has to store in both England and France, and even still he uses the tube on a regular basis. However, if you believe the rumours to be true, he had some other very surprising hobbies.
A cardinal sin which the majority of football fans share, we envy how the other half live but football is not the only envious part of his lifestyle. A stint in adult entertainment a potential addition to a dream CV.
According to former coach Clive Allen, when asked what he planned to do once his playing career had ended, Assou-Ekotto reportedly said: “I think I’m going to be a porn star”. Harry Redknapp reported similar comments, though the French-born player has since laughed these claims off.
A joke many took far too seriously, he was left red in the face after he reported his mother found out on Mother’s day, informing her son she would have preferred a different gift.
It’s safe to say, his demeanor is far from what you’d expect from a footballer and though he was open about his life in football, he remained professional both on the pitch and in training. Claiming to grow a connection with the Lilywhites, at times you could see a passion he otherwise neglected.
His first goal for Tottenham is a good example. The opening game of the 2009/2010 season, he rifled home a loose ball from the edge of the area to level the game against Liverpool. A celebration reminiscent of our own adolescence, waving his arms around in sheer joy.
His career may not be remembered for glory, but one which allowed him to fulfill his passions, improve his family’s lives and create a life made for the future. A lovable rogue, who defied the norms of football.
