Recently, Moroccan midfielder Adel Taarabt announced his retirement from professional football after a career filled with distinctive flair. The former Premier League star, who captivated fans with his exceptional skill and creativity, appeared on talkSPORT's Drive show to reflect on his memorable playing career.

Fans will never forget his name

Taarabt's name remains fondly remembered by English football fans, particularly those of Queens Park Rangers.

Throughout his career, he played for clubs including Tottenham Hotspur, AC Milan, and Benfica, but he is best remembered for his time at Loftus Road.

Taarabt was an exceptionally talented and stylish player. In 2009, he joined Queens Park Rangers on loan from Tottenham before securing a permanent transfer. During his time with the club, he made 164 appearances, scoring 34 goals and providing 41 assists.

With his mesmerizing dribbling and impressive technical ability, Taarabt became a beloved figure at Queens Park Rangers, delivering outstanding performances during the 2010-11 season.

That season, he scored 19 goals and provided 16 assists, helping QPR secure promotion back to the Premier League, where he continued to demonstrate his technical prowess.

Taarabt reveals why Ferguson decided not to sign him

Taarabt's exceptional performances at Queens Park Rangers made him one of the most talked-about young talents in football at the time, and he was frequently linked with moves to top clubs.

Sir Alex Ferguson, then manager of Manchester United and a legendary coach, was among his admirers. In January 2011, Ferguson traveled to Hull City specifically to watch Taarabt play in a Championship match.

However, Taarabt has now revealed that the transfer ultimately fell through due to a confrontation with his teammate Shaun Derry.

Taarabt told talkSPORT: "At one point, we were top of the Championship. I remember that game—Ferguson came to watch me specifically."

"We were playing an away match at Hull City, and he came because he wanted to sign me."

However, in the 42nd minute of the match, Taarabt had a clash with his teammate Shaun Derry.

"During the game, I had an altercation with Shaun Derry, and afterward I went to the sideline and told manager Neil Warnock: 'You need to take me off right now. I'm done.'"

"Then Ferguson said: 'What? This kid is mad.'"

Although Ferguson had clearly seen something he didn't like, Taarabt was crucial to Queens Park Rangers at the time, and Warnock didn't substitute him as requested. Instead, Warnock directed his anger at Derry.

Taarabt recalls: "Neil Warnock said: 'No, I'm not taking you off. Stay on.'"

"I stood on the sideline for about four minutes saying: 'Take me off. I want to come off the pitch.'"

"Then at halftime, Neil Warnock gave Shaun Derry a real dressing down."

"He said: 'This is the first and last time you'll speak to him like that. If he needs the ball, give him the ball. Don't speak to him. Otherwise, I'll take you off and you'll never play for me again.'"

Taarabt stated that after this incident, he believed Ferguson changed his mind.

"I think Ferguson said at that moment: 'I can't sign a kid with that kind of attitude.'"

Also rejected Arsenal

After losing the opportunity to join Manchester United, Taarabt firmly rejected an offer from Arsenal.

At the time, Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger wanted to offer him a chance to play in the Champions League. However, the determined midfielder revealed that because Arsenal's offer was significantly lower than what he was earning at Queens Park Rangers, and he didn't want to repeat his experience at Tottenham, he chose to remain with QPR.

Taarabt said: "I spoke with Wenger, and he asked me to join Arsenal. He told me: 'I'll give you the opportunity to play in the Champions League.'"

"But at that time, the salary he offered me was much lower than what I was earning on my new contract at Queens Park Rangers."

"I ultimately said: 'If Queens Park Rangers offers me a new contract, I won't go to Arsenal because if I go there, I'll have to compete for my position, and you never know if you'll play every week.'"

"So even though it was a great offer, I still said: 'No, I'm not going.'"

Still went out partying the night before matches

For a key player on a team, it's typically expected to maintain a more professional lifestyle. However, Taarabt apparently didn't fully adhere to this standard.

The Queens Park Rangers legend admitted that he often went out partying until the early hours the night before matches.

He was so devoted to London's nightlife that Darren Bent, talkSPORT presenter and former Tottenham player, once suggested that Taarabt's rejection of Liverpool's offer was related to his lifestyle.

Taarabt acknowledged: "Sometimes, I still went out on the night of a match."

"For example, if a match was on Saturday, I'd go out Friday night, and then the game would kick off at 3 p.m. Saturday, with the team meeting at Loftus Road only at 1 p.m."

For many managers, particularly when dealing with a captain, this behavior would clearly be difficult to accept. However, Warnock at the time didn't express disapproval of this.

Taarabt explained how he balanced his social life with his team responsibilities:

"At that age, I found it easy."

"I was the captain, so before the match, we'd go with coach Neil to meet the referee."

"He'd tell me: 'Listen, I know you went out last night, but right now you just need to get on the pitch and help me win the game.'"

Special relationship with Warnock

The special relationship between Taarabt and Queens Park Rangers manager Warnock was no secret.

The popular English coach once revealed that to unlock Taarabt's talent, he had to relax certain rules for the player.

When asked about Warnock's role in his career, Taarabt even joked:

"I think I was more important to him than he was to me!"

Taarabt later disclosed some of the special treatment he received at Queens Park Rangers.

"Sometimes I didn't train five days a week. I might only come in on Friday and then play on Saturday!"

Taarabt also said:

"Neil Warnock wasn't obsessed with tactics, and sometimes I didn't like his training methods."

"So he told me: 'Come whenever you want, as long as you're happy.'"

Taarabt: Ramos was the worst coach I ever encountered

While Warnock was one of Taarabt's favorite managers throughout his career, he had nothing good to say about one coach during his time at Tottenham.

In 2007, Taarabt joined Tottenham while Martin Jol was manager, but he never received consistent playing opportunities, making only 15 appearances.

His situation worsened when Juande Ramos took over as manager.

Reflecting on his first preseason after joining Tottenham, Taarabt told talkSPORT: "At that time, I thought I'd start the new season in great form."

"But suddenly I was frozen out and didn't get any playing time."

"The club was unstable at that time—they changed managers every six months, which wasn't good for young players."

"The worst was Ramos. I couldn't understand what this man was thinking."

"Then I thought: 'I need to get out of here.'"

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