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Remember When This Guy was Considered a Prospect...

michaelden

michaelden

Knight of the Fat Fanny
Aug 13, 2004
26,474
21,855
a thread on all the prospects who never fulfilled their potential

Valeri Bojinov - Once considered a great rising star, not on loan from Sporting Clube to Vicenza
Ariel Ortega -
Andres D'Alessandro -
Neil Mellor - scouser with promise now in lower leagues


Anymore for any more?
 
CosmicHotspur

CosmicHotspur

Better a wag than a WAG
Aug 14, 2006
51,069
22,383
Rebrov and Brolin spring to mind as footballers who never achieved their full potential.

I wonder if Taraabt will fall into the same category eventually.
 
Cavehillspur

Cavehillspur

Well-Known Member
Jan 28, 2011
14,121
18,498
michaelden said:
a thread on all the prospects who never fulfilled their potential

Valeri Bojinov - Once considered a great rising star, not on loan from Sporting Clube to Vicenza
Ariel Ortega -
Andres D'Alessandro -
Neil Mellor - scouser with promise now in lower leagues


Anymore for any more?
Click to expand...

Mellor had to reitre about 2 years ago due to knee injuries. Will always fondly remember his last gasp goal against the Gooners :)
 
Hoddle&Waddle

Hoddle&Waddle

Well-Known Member
Nov 25, 2012
8,359
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Denilson (the original, not the Scum player). A player that was hyped as the next superstar Brazilian and certainly had some tekkers. But after he made a £21 million move to Real Betis (which in modern money would be about 35 mill, maybe more) things went downhill dramatically. He ended up in the MLS, and after just 8 games was released by FC Dallas.
 
CosmicHotspur

CosmicHotspur

Better a wag than a WAG
Aug 14, 2006
51,069
22,383
Quaresma, Saviola and Adu rightly belong in this thread.

Also, remember ultra-talented boy wonder Sonny Pike, hailed as the new George Best in the making when Ajax snapped him up aged 7 when he was training with Leyton Orient as a schoolboy? He's now around 30. He's also Mark Falco's nephew.

After leaving Ajax, he returned to England and ended up playing non-league football with Stevenage Borough, Barnet, Enfield, Waltham Forest and Dryburgh Saints, all under his birth name of Luke Pike. His parents divorced after he suffered a mental breakdown - a warning to clubs to take care of these youngsters and not hype them up to impossible levels with huge media publicity before they are old enough to cope with it.

Things could have been so different for him if he had been managed with more care.
 
Hoddle&Waddle

Hoddle&Waddle

Well-Known Member
Nov 25, 2012
8,359
17,609
CosmicHotspur said:
Quaresma, Saviola and Adu rightly belong in this thread.

Also, remember ultra-talented boy wonder Sonny Pike, hailed as the new George Best in the making when Ajax snapped him up aged 7 when he was training with Leyton Orient as a schoolboy? He's now around 30. He's also Mark Falco's nephew.

After leaving Ajax, he returned to England and ended up playing non-league football with Stevenage Borough, Barnet, Enfield, Waltham Forest and Dryburgh Saints, all under his birth name of Luke Pike. His parents divorced after he suffered a mental breakdown - a warning to clubs to take care of these youngsters and not hype them up to impossible levels with huge media publicity before they are old enough to cope with it.

Things could have been so different for him if he had been managed with more care.
Click to expand...
Great post, yeah I remember that kid getting signed by Ajax, shame what happened. Saviola has gone on to have a pretty good career, was playing CL quarter final last night and has pretty much played CL footy his whole career. Probably was unfair to label him 'the new Maradona' but imo he's still a very good player.
 
nightgoat

nightgoat

Well-Known Member
Sep 12, 2005
24,604
21,898
CosmicHotspur said:
Quaresma, Saviola and Adu rightly belong in this thread.

Also, remember ultra-talented boy wonder Sonny Pike, hailed as the new George Best in the making when Ajax snapped him up aged 7 when he was training with Leyton Orient as a schoolboy? He's now around 30. He's also Mark Falco's nephew.

After leaving Ajax, he returned to England and ended up playing non-league football with Stevenage Borough, Barnet, Enfield, Waltham Forest and Dryburgh Saints, all under his birth name of Luke Pike. His parents divorced after he suffered a mental breakdown - a warning to clubs to take care of these youngsters and not hype them up to impossible levels with huge media publicity before they are old enough to cope with it.

Things could have been so different for him if he had been managed with more care.
Click to expand...

 
Gb160

Gb160

Well done boys. Good process
Jun 20, 2012
23,733
93,873
CosmicHotspur said:
Quaresma, Saviola and Adu rightly belong in this thread.

Also, remember ultra-talented boy wonder Sonny Pike, hailed as the new George Best in the making when Ajax snapped him up aged 7 when he was training with Leyton Orient as a schoolboy? He's now around 30. He's also Mark Falco's nephew.

After leaving Ajax, he returned to England and ended up playing non-league football with Stevenage Borough, Barnet, Enfield, Waltham Forest and Dryburgh Saints, all under his birth name of Luke Pike. His parents divorced after he suffered a mental breakdown - a warning to clubs to take care of these youngsters and not hype them up to impossible levels with huge media publicity before they are old enough to cope with it.

Things could have been so different for him if he had been managed with more care.
Click to expand...

Remember him...I went out with his sister !!
Something you forgot to mention...around the time he signed for Ajax he released a single....which completely flopped.
Whoever was advising him was clearly only interested in making as much money out of him as quickly as possible.
It's a shame to think what might have been had he concentrated on his football and been given some sensible advice.
 
Syn_13

Syn_13

Fly On, Little Wing
Jul 17, 2008
14,855
20,663
michaelden said:
a thread on all the prospects who never fulfilled their potential

Valeri Bojinov - Once considered a great rising star, not on loan from Sporting Clube to Vicenza
Ariel Ortega -
Andres D'Alessandro -
Neil Mellor - scouser with promise now in lower leagues


Anymore for any more?
Click to expand...

He was a legend for me on Football Manager a few years back. I remember signing him from Lecce for about half a million and he Greaves-esque with his goal record. That game picks some gems but it gets some real duds too!
 
Kingellesar

Kingellesar

This is the way
May 2, 2005
8,782
9,292
Gareth Bale - Hyped up to be the next big thing, scored some crackers at Southampton, went to Spurs and played 24 league games without a win. Went on loan to Birmingham after being frozen out and ..........oh.

Nevermind.
 
Mer fantastik

Mer fantastik

Active Member
Jun 23, 2012
79
118
CosmicHotspur said:
Rebrov and Brolin spring to mind as footballers who never achieved their full potential.

I wonder if Taraabt will fall into the same category eventually.
Click to expand...

Regarding Brolin I think it has to do with his ankle injury in 1995 international game for Sweden qualifier for Euro 1996. He broke his ankle in that match and was off over a year. His career was not the same after that. I know Brolin is considered a joke in GB but he was quite a player before the injury. I only mention the goal against England in the Euro -92, remember?
 
michaelden

michaelden

Knight of the Fat Fanny
Aug 13, 2004
26,474
21,855
Gassin's finest said:
Ortega was brilliant! What happened to him??
Click to expand...

I think he played in Italy for a middle ranked team, never made it through injury and shit form and ended up back in argentina or brazil and did okay there but never set the world alight again
 
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