Brazil for Nabil

Nabil Bentaleb joined the Tottenham Hotspur Academy in January 2012 and became an immediate hit, getting regular appearances for the U21s as a result. However, it is fair to say that at that point in time he did not feature in the club’s first team plans under the then Head Coach André Villas-Boas. Following the acrimonious departure of AVB in December 2013 and the short-term appointment of Tim Sherwood as Head Coach, Bentaleb saw his stock rise dramatically.

Within days of Sherwood taking over as boss, Bentaleb was training with the First Team and made his first appearance as a second-half substitute for Mousa Dembélé in a 2-3 away win against Mauricio Pochettino’s Southampton. He then went on to make 18 appearances for Spurs as the second half of the 2013-14 Premier League season ran its course. 13 of those appearances came in the League, with Nabil making 4 more in the Europa League and picking up a single FA Cup cap against Arsenal.

The FA Cup loss against Arsenal became a key moment in the career of the young Algerian and one which would set the anti-Bentaleb agenda off in full flow. Many supporters saw Sherwood’s reign in a poor light, branded under qualified, under equipped and ultimately undermined. The Sherwood-ire brigade saw Bentaleb as a clear totem of Sherwood’s reign and as such choose to rail against him.

[linequote]The FA Cup loss against Arsenal became a key moment in the career of the young Algerian and one which would set the anti-Bentaleb agenda off in full flow.[/linequote]

However, despite looking out of his depth in some of the bigger fixtures in which he played, Bentaleb looked surprisingly accomplished in the majority of his performances. He showed good passing and movement as well as often showing the desire to drive the game forward when older heads in the Spurs midfield looked unwilling. Plaudits in these games were not forthcoming from many; such was the underlying disregard for Sherwood and Nabil’s part in this latest incarnation of the First XI. This can’t have been easy for Nabil, yet overall he did not let this pressure show and play a part in his performances.

Bentaleb is a 19 year-old (for context, born in 1994) and is therefore younger than many other Tottenham prospects such as Andros Townsend, Tom Carroll, Harry Kane and even Alex Pritchard, players which many fans have lent a lot more time and faith to. His selection for the Algeria World Cup squad is indicative of how others, without a Tottenham slant on the Player, perceive his talents. Not to say that the calibre of midfielder in the Algeria squad is as competitive as that at Tottenham, but it is nevertheless a big step for a young man.

[linequote]His selection for the Algeria World Cup squad is indicative of how others, without a Tottenham slant on the Player, perceive his talents.[/linequote]Algeria face Russia, South Korea and Belgium in their World Cup Group H. Their opening game is versus Belgium on the 17th of June in the Estádio Mineirão, Belo Horizonte. Spurs fans will no doubt look to the game with particular interest; the opportunity to see our Belgian players Mousa Dembélé, Jan Vertonghen and Nacer Chadli face off against an Algerian XI potentially containing Bentaleb. A test for all the players involved, especially with Belgium tipped to impress at the Tournament.

It is yet to be seen how Mauricio Pochettino will use Bentaleb and whether he will feature in the plans of the Argentine. It is not unreasonable to assume that the youngster could go out on loan next season to another Premier League club. However, it seems easy to assume that Poch will be watching as intently as we will on June 17th, as a glimpse at what Spurs’ future midfield might hold is assured.