"It's a pretty special moment!” Lille midfielder Nabil Bentaleb on his emotional return to football
- Omna Taddele
- Feb 17
- 1 min read
Algerian midfielder Nabil Bentaleb cherished his return to playing football. The former Tottenham player scored for LOSC Lille against Stade Rennais after coming on as a second half substitute in their 2-0 Ligue 1 victory on Sunday.
Speaking to DAZN, Bentaleb stated he is overjoyed to return to football as well as scoring in his first match back:
"It's a pretty special moment. I went from nothing to everything. I go from the stands watching my friends without knowing if I'm going to be able to take part in this adventure to, overnight, training on Thursday and on Friday I'm told that I can be in the group. I didn't know if I was going to come back, in the end I'm told to come back. But on the corner, I felt like I was going to score.”
The 30-year-old had a cardiac arrest in June 2024 that temporarily suspended his career. It had the potential to end his time as a professional footballer after Bentaleb was told by medical professionals that his heart issue might hinder him from playing again.
Lille coach Bruno Genesio gave the midfielder an opportunity and Bentaleb helped the Northern French side to win 2-0 in Breton as they push for a European place. Bentaleb won the 2019 African Cup of Nations with Algeria and has been a member of the national side since 2014. He previously turned out for German side Schalke in addition to Tottenham.