Mido’s time in Premier League betting wasn’t exactly league-altering.
He scored just 22 Premier League goals across spells with Tottenham, Middlesbrough, Wigan and West Ham, yet there were fleeting moments when the Egyptian looked capable of becoming a long-term, effective striker at the Premier League level.
From a starlet at Gent to a prodigy duelling with Zlatan Ibrahimovic at Ajax, Mido had short stints with Celta Vigo, Marseille and Roma (of varying success) before signing with Tottenham on loan in 2005.
Spurs desired a skilled big man to accompany Jermain Defoe and Robbie Keane up front, and Mido took to the Premier League with ease.
A tally of 13 goals was more than respectable in his debut campaign, yet even midway through the season, Mido again found himself at the centre of conflict.
Having bickered with Ronald Koeman in Amsterdam earlier in his career, Mido claimed the Egyptian coaching staff wanted him out of the squad after he was withdrawn from a knockout match in the Africa Cup Of Nations.
Spurs made his deal permanent at the end of the season, but he was not content in north London for long. That promising, impressive first season in the Premier League proved to be a blip, securing Mido’s status alongside other one-season wonders.
The north London club acquired Dimitar Berbatov, nudging Mido slip into a backup role and his motivation reportedly waned. Once again, he was in conflict with management as his relationship with Martin Jol fractured.
For that one season, Mido enhanced his team’s betting chances, just as he did on occasion for Ajax and throughout his time with Marseille.
Other teams involved in Premier League predictions bought into Mido’s raw ability. His combination of size, strength and technical ability combined for a tantalising potential, an image of the complete modern centre forward.
Instead, he scored just eight Premier League goals after leaving Tottenham, failing to make a mark at Middlesbrough, West Ham or Wigan.
In retirement, Mido acknowledges his unfulfilled potential, but takes a philosophical view on his playing days.
“I think could have been better and could have been worse. But I’m proud of what I’ve done. I’ve played for some great clubs, had very good relationships with my teammates and made very good friends until now.
"And I think this is the most important thing about football: to build relationships and to have friends through your career."
Since retiring as a player in 2013, the former Spurs striker has tried his hand at management and frequently features as a pundit. Mido, on and off the pitch, is perhaps a player who would have benefited from his career coming a decade later.
He continued, “Players who are playing now, in my opinion they are more focused on their game. Now football is different, with social media and the attention around the game.
Happy 32nd birthday to former Tottenham and West Ham forward Mido. He scored 22 Premier League goals in 94 matches. pic.twitter.com/hQw6i2IbJ0
— Squawka (@Squawka) February 23, 2015
"They take good care of themselves. I wish we had this attention when I was playing. I remember when I scored a goal in Europe it was written in Egypt two days after. So it’s different. We were a bit isolated.”
Where many one-season wonders are an outlier campaign in a player’s career, Mido’s first year with Tottenham was not meant to be a peak.
Michu and Andy Johnson exceeded expectations for a year, while Mido played at a level which was in-keeping with the expectations for a player of his obvious talent.
If anything, Mido’s one standout Premier League season was a point of frustration, a representation of what could have been.
