Former Tottenham Hotspur favorite Dimitar Berbatov has admitted to having no knowledge of Spurs before joining the North London side in 2006.
Berbatov joined Tottenham Hotspur from Bayer Leverkusen back in 2006 and went on to spend a successful spell with the North London side, scoring 46 goals in 102 games before eventually joining Manchester United in 2008.
Now in the twilight of his career, Berbatov currently plays in India for Kerela Blasters and in a recent interview the Bulgarian took time to reflect on his time in England where he spent six glorious years.
Speaking about his transfer to Tottenham, Berbatov said, “My agent said we’d had a serious offer from Tottenham. I said: ‘Who?’
“I was watching German football, not English. There were rumours of Man United’s interest too. I’d definitely heard of United, but they told me I was effectively a second choice if another player didn’t happen. So I took the offer to move to London, which I loved, and play for Spurs, who I grew to love.
“In Martin Jol, I saw my grandfather. He was a big man and you think he’s a tough guy, but underneath he is a kind man. I knew immediately that I could have a good relationship with him.
“It took me a couple of months to get used to English football, to adjust to the speed and the physical side but, when the chance came, I came off the bench to score two goals against Fulham.
“We won the [2008] League Cup and beat Chelsea in the final. The coach was Juande Ramos, who knew how to train us, relax us and prepare us for the final as if it was a normal game with little pressure. If you overthink then you are going to have problems.
“Everybody thought Chelsea would win. They were so strong and reached the Champions League final a few months later with my old teammate Michael Ballack. But we won 2-1, the first Spurs trophy for many years. Spurs have not won a trophy since.”
Berbatov is a legend in the Premier League due to his exploits with both Manchester United and Tottenham.
The 36-year-old’s languid style, amazing first touch and ruthless finishing has made him a part of Premier League folklore, with fans of the generation remembering him fondly for the carefree nature of his game.
Some of Berbatov’s most memorable moments at Manchester United has to be his impressive hattrick against Liverpool and also his amazing skill to set up Cristiano Ronaldo against West Ham.
