O’Hara hits out at Tottenham ‘Scandal’ live on talkSPORT – ‘Joke’
Jamie O’Hara has hit out at a “scandal” dating back to his time at Tottenham.
O’Hara spent eight years on Tottenham’s books, six of those at senior level, and made 56 appearances in all competitions.
The midfielder’s time at White Hart Lane coincided with that of Adel Taarabt, who ultimately went on to make a name for himself away from North London.
O’Hara annoyed by Taarabt at Tottenham
Taarabt joined Tottenham in January 2007, initially on loan, but was signed permanently in the following summer. He only made 15 appearances for Spurs before being shipped out to QPR.
During his time at Spurs, Taarabt trained closely with then-teammate O’Hara.
On talkSPORT, O’Hara has now described how it felt training with the Moroccan at Tottenham.
O’Hara and Taarabt were together at Tottenham from 2007 to 2009, after which Taarabt left Spurs to join QPR on loan and then permanently in 2010.
O’Hara played 56 games for Spurs during his seven-year spell in North London. He said about Taarabt’s quality in training: “I played with Adel at Tottenham. This guy used to annoy the life out of me. He’d never pass the ball and go around six players. His ability when he had it was outrageous.
| Opposition | Home/Away |
| Chelsea | Away |
| Southampton | Home |
| Eintracht Frankfurt | Home |
| Wolves | Away |
“He lacked a bit of pace, which is why he probably didn’t play top-level. On the ball, he was probably the best I have seen. He’d do five or six nutmegs in training. It was a scandal, a joke.”
After leaving Tottenham, Taarabt was excellent under then-QPR manager Neil Warnock. At Loftus Road, the Moroccan midfielder made 164 appearances, scoring 34 times and assisting 40 times.
Taarabt then went on to play for Fulham, AC Milan, Genoa, Benfica and Al Nasr. The 35-year-old left Al Nasr FC in UAE in January 2025 and joined Al Sharjah where he has two assists in nine appearances.
Bergvall continues to impress in Tottenham midfield
While Taarabt’s technical abilities were applauded by O’Hara, the current Spurs team also have a technically gifted player in Lucas Bergvall.
The Sweden international has become a vital part of the Tottenham midfield under Ange Postecoglou since arriving last summer for £8.5 million from Djurgarden. His ability to get past players using his creativity and get out of tight spots makes him a solid midfielder to evade pressure.
Bergvall has made 22 Premier League appearances this term while also playing a part in all of Spurs’ Europa League matches. His impressive performances for Spurs have earned him a call-up from Sweden’s national team.
Unfortunately, Bergvall is set to miss Sweden’s game against Luxembourg because of illness. He has left the squad and returned to Stockholm to undergo treatment and focus on recovery.
Bergvall has been one of the rare shining lights for Spurs in a dull season. If the North London side are to salvage their season by winning the Europa League, the Swedish midfielder will play a key role in it.