Forgotten Premier League star swaps sports and playing against former team-mate after 17 months unemployed
PREMIER LEAGUE fans will always hold a special place in their heart for the audacious skills and close control of Hatem Ben Arfa.
But despite his previous days of leaving fans mesmerised with his footwork, he has now taken a new path with a different sport.
The 36-year-old has been without a club for 17 months after he left Lille at the end of the 2021/22 season.
And following his short but feisty spell with the French club he turned his focus to a new sport – padel.
Padel is a Mexican game similar to both tennis and squash and is played on a small court that has fencing all around it that the ball can be played off.
The unusual career path has been revealed by Le Parisien who have explained that Ben Arfa has completely shifted his focus onto the new sport.
The former Newcastle man has been practising for over a year now and has competed in a number of competitions along the way.
And he’s been crossing paths with a familiar face in the process, regularly playing alongside former PSG teammate Christoper Jallet.
Padel referee Roland Mermillod told Le Parisien that Ben Arfa spends almost all his time working on improving at the sport.
He said: “Hatem doesn’t do anything more than that. He plays almost every day.”
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The ex-French international’s hard work seems to be paying off too as he has worked his way up the rankings in his home country.
Ben Arfa is ranked 1,342nd of over 42,000 players who are registered on the rankings in France.
Although not officially retired from football his new passion would suggest that it’s unlikely he will make a return to the pitch any time soon.
The attacking midfielder played at some of Ligue 1’s biggest teams such as PSG, Lyon and Marseille.
While Premier League fans will remember him best for his time with Newcastle and his brief loan spell at Hull City in 2014.
