5Q | Dimitar Berbatov: “My love and respect for the club will be here forever”

Sheffield United at the Lane, seven minutes on the clock, Aaron Lennon zipped down the right, Berbatov’s subtle movement lost three defenders within a few yards of him, and he just tapped into an empty net from three yards. Off the mark - lovely.

In fact, it was quite an un-Berba-like goal as the classy striker loved nothing more than to conjure up a masterpiece – think volleys against Club Brugge, Braga, Boro or PSV, the solo goals against Besiktas and Charlton, the free-kick at West Ham or the delicate lob in the FA Cup at Fulham. Even better, the ice-cold penalty to level it up in the League Cup Final against Chelsea in 2008.

Berba and Keano, a striking match made in footballing heaven – two seasons together, 90 goals in all competitions. Add in the 5-1 against Arsenal, 4-3 at West Ham, the European nights, the attacking era under Martin Jol plus the League Cup, including 5-1 against Arsenal in the semi-final – great days – as Berba agreed on reflection in a recent visit with Edgar Davids to meet Roberto De Zerbi and watch the team train at Hotspur Way.

Q1 | Berba, it’s 20 years since you joined us – what do you remember about arriving here in that summer of 2006?

Berba: “Well, my first memory is walking into White Hart Lane, going to meet the gaffer, Martin Jol, and when I saw him, I got that impression that I'll be alright. He said to me, ‘Berba, how are you?’ and I was even more relaxed because he was talking like straight out of the Godfather movie! I remember the old training ground (Spurs Lodge, Chigwell) – although this (Hotspur Way) is light years from there, I mean, come on! It was all about playing, scoring goals, impressive and getting our hands on a trophy – which we did.”

Q2 | We had lots of leaders in the squad – and you were a leader, in your own way, if you know what I mean by that!

Berba: “Well, I stayed true to myself. That's the most important for me. Throughout my career, I stayed true to myself. I tried to evolve and adapt my game, obviously, but in my own way, coming from Germany to England, I needed to know how to think fast, to be more smart, because the defenders here were like bodybuilders, you know, so strong. I needed to be smarter. I just stayed true to my style of play, which was to stay calm. When everybody was running around, going crazy, stay calm. In the eye of the storm, stay calm. You're going to find your way, your solution - this is what I did.”

Q3 | Well, that calmness was never better illustrated than your penalty against Petr Cech to make it 1-1 in the League Cup Final against Chelsea in 2008. That was you in a nutshell. Was that your favourite moment?

Berba: “Yes, I have to say this one, honestly, not only because we won the trophy, but in that moment, the pressure of me scoring was unbelievable. Petr Cech is in front of me and behind him, our fans, if you remember. So, everybody was holding their breath for a goal. For me, seeing all this, I know what they were expecting me to score that goal - and that's pressure.”

And it's Petr Cech...

Berba: “Yes, and it's Petr Cech, one of the best goalkeepers in the world! Again, because I stayed true to myself, I was able to score that penalty.”

Q4 | Winning a trophy, your partnership with Robbie Keane, all the goals and the moments – how do you sum up those two years?

Berba: “Well, that's why my love and respect for the club will be forever here. Because, obviously, it brought me forever, because you gave me the opportunity to show what I can do in the English Premier League. I had a great time with Martin Jol, with Keano, with all my teammate. We won a trophy. We entertained on the pitch. We scored goals all the time. Even when we were losing the game, we were still scoring goals and entertaining. I'm pretty sure the fans were also entertained. So, it’s always with a smile when I think about these days at Spurs. Always with a smile.”

Q5 | Final question – what are you up to now?

Berba: “I have a lot of things going on. First, obviously, I try to be a cool dad. I have two kids, it's not easy, but I need to stay calm again! Then, I have my foundation for talented kids back home in Bulgaria. For 20 years now, we've supported the young talent. I have my business interests as well. As you can see, I'm going to my old clubs, getting to know how the teams are preparing. Also, I have something in the back of my head. Someday, if some of my clubs are looking for a striker coach, I'll be open to something like this. I think the individual work with strikers, defenders and midfielders is very important in modern football. How you control the ball, how you turn, weak foot, strong foot, the right moment, the right space. These are the basics. Sometimes, it's going to be boring. Sometimes, the repetition will be too much, but with the repetition, comes the improvement. The small details make a whole lot of a difference.”