The “Barclaysmen” trend may have died down in recent weeks, though the ever-present human tendency to yearn for “the good old days” will never perish.
In the context of the Premier League, Mousa Dembélé occupies a weird space, having arrived a bit too late to be remembered as a “proper Barclaysman” and yet being a cult-hero figure revered not just by Tottenham fans but fans of football in general.
However, one footballer has certainly not forgotten him.
Antonio Rüdiger calls Mousa Dembélé “most underrated player” he ever faced
In a recent appearance on The Inside Scoop Podcast, Real Madrid defender Antonio Rüdiger praised former Tottenham midfielder Mousa Dembélé while also managing to take a sly dig at the Lilywhites.
“Mousa Dembele from Tottenham Hotspur. Wow, wow.
“This guy, no disrespect to Tottenham, but I don’t know how he didn’t play for a higher club.
“I really don’t know how because he had everything. I’ve never seen someone as strong as him. He was like a wall.
“And technique – poof! He didn’t know pressure. You can pass him the ball and two men can be behind him – no problem!”
Rüdiger on Dembélé, as quoted by TBR Football.
The former Belgian midfielder spent nine years in England, seven of them at Spurs. Moving from Fulham in 2012 for €19 million, the 37-year-old would go on to make 249 appearances for Spurs across all appearances, delivering ten goals and assists each before moving to Chinese Super League side Guangzhou for €5.35 million. He left China after three seasons and retired from professional football at 34 years of age.
The streets will never forget
Taking into account the fact that everything and everyone look more embellished with the rose tint of nostalgia, and the fact that silky defensive operators have begun earning their long-deserved credit only recently, it is understandable why Dembélé is remembered fondly today.
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And for good reason. One can respect his decision of being a family man and calling time on his career relatively early while acknowledging that, in another life, he could have soared much higher.
