Benoit Assou Ekotto is a Cameroonian retired professional football player. He enjoyed playing for a number of European clubs including Lens, Tottenham Hotspurs and Queens Park Rangers. His impressive performance as a youngster at French club, Lens is what saw him land at the English Premier League in 2006. He played for Tottenham Hotspurs and was one of the best left backs during his days.

However, Assou Ekotto surprised man soccer fans in 2011 when he claimed that he only plays football for money and not for passion.

“I’m lucky and appreciate what I have, but football is just a job, a means to an end. There are more important things in life than kicking the ball around. Yes, I play for the money but then doesn’t everybody who gets up in the morning and goes to work?”

While his former Tottenham Hotspurs teammate Luka Modric was moving to Real Madrid, he also hinted on the same. He said that a football player is expected to move to another club if his parent club cannot pay him the wage that the new club has offered him.

Despite playing for money, Assou Ekotto had real talent. He was arguably one of the finest left backs during his days. He helped Lens win the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 2005. He also helped Tottenham Hotspurs reach the finals of the English Football League in 2009. However, they never won the title. He made two FIFA World Cup appearances for the Cameroon national team before announcing his retirement from international football.