What happened to former Tottenham star Etienne Capoue? Of all the places you might find a former Premier League regular and Europa League winner, the basketball court is perhaps not a top guess.But, in what may very well end up being quite the pub quiz question one day, that’s exactly where you’d have been able to find the former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder.As one of the Bale 7, Capoue never really hit the heights in what was a fairly short-lived spell at Spurs. But ironically, after leaving N17, he actually had quite an impressive career before trading nets for hoops.So, what happened to Etienne Capoue after leaving Tottenham? Here’s everything you need to know.Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty ImagesWhat happened to Etienne Capoue after Tottenham?For many, playing in the Premier League and winning the Europa League would fulfil quite the childhood dream. But Etienne Capoue never dreamt of being a footballer. He actually always wanted to play in the NBA.“Football is too long to watch on television,” said Capoue in an interview back in 2023. “Two 45-minute parts is a lot.”Instead, the Frenchman loved to watch basketball, appreciating the tactics and how it was basically one-on-one almost all over the court. “You have your oppinent in the same position, you have to beat them and I like that a lot. In football, it’s different. In basketball, you can’t hide.”But that dream, of course, had to wait as he found his way into football, which he said he always enjoyed playing too. Working his way up through Toulouse’s academy, he made it to the first-team and soon found himself in the Premier League with Tottenham Hotspur.As part of Spurs’ spending spree, preparing for life post-Gareth Bale, he joined for £9 million and made little impression over the next couple of seasons. After two goals and 36 appearances, he departed for Watford.At Watford, he firmly established himself as a solid Premier League midfielder over the next five seasons. He won Watford’s Player of the Season award in 2018/19, but couldn’t stop them being relegated the year after.Still, his stature saw him rewarded with a move to La Liga club, Villarreal, setting in motion his climb to what would be the peak of his career.Man of the Match in the Europa League FinalCapoue had thought he’d been set to wrap up his career with Watford, admitting he felt good there. A transfer had even fallen through the previous summer, only for Villarreal to make their move in the winter.“I asked: ‘Where is Villarreal?’ I was told: ‘In the sun, near Valencia. You’re going to play in the Europa League.” I said: “Come on, let’s go”. And I played my first match four or five days later,” said Capoue, recounting the move to L’Equipe.He went on to become a regular in the side as Villarreal secured a 7th-place finish in La Liga and went all the way to the Europa League final, defeating Red Bull Salzburg, Dynamo Kyiv, Dinamo Zagreb and Arsenal on their way there. Capoue was actually sent off against Tottenham’s arch-rivals in the first leg, but was back for the final, when they took on Manchester United.After the game finished 1-1, Villarreal went on to win 11-10 on penalties. Capoue was subbed off in the final moments of extra-time for Raba, but was declared man of the match for a standout display.His time in Spain was a huge success, with his Villarreal career wrapping up in the summer of 2024. As they parted ways, the club declared that he had been a “key player” in their recent successes. He made 148 appearances and scored 12 goals, and followed that Europa League triumph with a Champions League semi-final in the 2021/22 season.For a move he never really planned on, it went rather well. But what happened to Etienne Capoue next? A taste of that basketball dreamVillarreal would prove to be Capoue’s final bow as a professional footballer. But as one career ended, another was just beginning.Back when he was a teenager, Capoue was on the fence as to whether he should choose basketball instead of football. He opted for the latter, but that love of the NBA stayed with him.His mother used to record games for him that he could watch before school, and he could then finish when getting home. It was an addiction, almost, an itch he finally got to scratch when his football career wound down.Still with Villarreal, he had the chance to visit Valencia Basket’s training facility and actually take part in a session. He more than held his own and set out his stall of how different he’d be as a basketball player compared to his time with a ball at his feet.“In football, I’m defensive, but in basketball I want to attack. A lot of determination to attack.”What did Etienne Capoue do after playing football?Without a new club to join in the footballing world, he instead joined Jovens L’Eliana in the basketball one, able to train with them and play in friendlies. The idea, at first, was fitness and just getting to embrace his passion.But come September 2024, he was actually registered as a player and made his competitive basketball debut that same month. While they lost, Capoue scored five points.He went on to play 25 games, averaging 6.9 points a game, as per Scout Basketball. Notably, he steadily improved as the season unfolded. This culminated with a 21-point game against SDC El Pilar Valencia. He returned for the 2025/26 season and, while not playing quite as much, posted an average of 8.2 points per game across nine matches.While he achieved a lot as a footballer, he got a chance to live out a big what-if and a childhood dream some 20 years after he almost chose basketball. And it’s a chapter that may not be done just yet, either…READ MORE: What happened to Dele Alli? Tottenham icon trains with League Two Barnet 4 years later – Spurs WebThe post What happened to Etienne Capoue after Tottenham? From the Bale 7 to living his NBA dream appeared first on Spurs Web.