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Despite being only 21-years old at the time, Tottenham Hotspur became
the seventh club of Mido's eventful career when he signed on an
18th-month loan from Roma in the January 2005 transfer window. The
Egyptian brought with him a reputation of having a volatile temperament
following altercations at previous clubs and with the Egypt national
team, but the management team of Martin Jol and Frank Arnesen at White
Hart Lane, being fully aware of his abilities from his time at Ajax,
were prepared to take the risk on the player.
Their faith was
immediately repaid when Mido made one of the most exciting Tottenham
debuts in recent history, scoring twice in a 62-minute stint in a 3-1
Premiership victory over Portsmouth. Mido's first strike was a hallmark
effort, powering home a header from Stephen Kelly's cross, his second
was a far simpler finish, sliding in at the far post to direct Jermain
Defoe's cross into the roof of the net. It certainly was a debut to
remember, but Mido struggled to make any further impact that season as
he battled to regain his fitness, scoring just one more goal, away at
Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup. The departure of Frederic Kanoute in
the summer of 2005 meant that Mido found himself the preferred strike
partner for either Robbie Keane or Jermain Defoe, as Martin Jol opted
for a 'big man, little man' strike pairing.
Mido made a successful start
to the campaign as he looked to secure himself a permanent deal by the
end of the season, scoring ten goals by the time he departed for
international duty with Egypt in the African Cup of Nations in January
2006. His temper reared its ugly head once again at this tournament when
he reacted badly to being substituted in the semi-final, resulting in
his exclusion from the final. This display of petulance also seemed to
have repercussions on his club form, as Mido was only able to add two
more goals to his tally. He returned to Roma at the end of the season,
having scored 14 goals in 38 appearances during his loan spell, but was
back in North London three months later as Tottenham paid £3.5million
for his services in a permanent deal.
He declared himself a leaner,
fitter player on his return, having lost 9kgs over the summer, but first
team opportunities were few and far between for the Egyptian due to the
sparkling form of Dimitar Berbatov. Mido was unhappy with his lack of
chances and was on the verge of clinching a move to Manchester City the
day before the Carling Cup semi-final second leg with Arsenal, only for
Spurs to pull out of the deal at the last minute. The next night, Mido
came off the bench at the Emirates stadium to send the tie into extra
time when he emphatically headed home with 5 minutes remaining.
It was
to be the last notable piece of action for Mido in a Spurs shirt, who
finally had his wish granted when he was able to leave Spurs in August
2007, joining Middlesbrough for £6million. (Stephen Bradley)
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