Going back to old clubs

[SUIYHA]

Been thinking with all the talk about Bale, about past players who went back to their old clubs, particularly Spurs, and wondered who people think the best and worst examples were? People say you only ever tarnish the legend as the return is never as good as the first time...

Klinsmann is the first name that sticks out for me. Was heartbroken when he left, but he came back two years later and got that four goal haul away at Wimbledon to keep us up. Then Sheringham a few years later, even though we didn't achieve anything of note, helped get us out of the boring Graham years to a team that actually played good football and helped Keane settle in at Spurs. Keane himself was never the same after going to Liverpool, but Defoe matured and was arguably even better the second time around as he scored the goals that got us into the Champions League for the first time. Peter Crouch didn't have much of a career the first time around but then scored that goal at the Etihad and then gave us our best European moment of the 35 years between Tony Parks and Lucas Moura.

Did anyone remember that we re-signed Pascal Chimbonda once? And Younes Kaboul too.

Any other good examples? At Spurs or elsewhere?

 

[Tucker]

Zaha has done ok for himself going back to Palace.

 

[Tucker]

Also I think Kaboul was better in his second spell here, though that was likely due to having played regular football.

 

[Hakkz]

Götze hasn't really been the same since going back to Dortmund, though he had some tough circumstances.

 

[Marty]

Well the most high profile example in world football right now is Pogba at United. Bit different maybe as he wasn't a first team player before he left the first time.

Fowler's return to Liverpool back in the day was a bit of a damp squid, but he was already declining when he left the first time and his second spell was a bit of an emergency signing.

 

[Meercat]

Ian Rush is classic example.

 

[Hakkz]

Andy Carroll to Newcastle

 

[Gassin's finest]

Riquelme and Boca Juniors seems like the most famous and successful example to me.

6 and then 7 seasons either side of half a decade in Spain, and he's pretty much their most loved player after Diego.

 

[Marty]

Ian Rush is classic example.

Mark Hughes too. There are plenty of English players who had mediocre foreign careers and went back to their former English club in the 80s and early 90s.

 

[Metalhead]

Glenn Murray at Brighton. Great record wherever he has gone but did well there twice.

 

[Shadydan]

David Luiz, dodgy the first time, equally as dodgy the 2nd time.

 

[Everlasting Seconds]

Riquelme and Boca Juniors seems like the most famous and successful example to me.

6 and then 7 seasons either side of half a decade in Spain, and he's pretty much their most loved player after Diego.

 

[TheChosenOne]

Michel Vorm ?

 

[cjsimba]

Juninho went back to Middlesborough twice

 

[TheChosenOne]

Juninho went back to Middlesborough twice

Blimey - I only ever went there once , 1982 that was enough.

 

[Hakkz]

Riquelme and Boca Juniors seems like the most famous and successful example to me.

6 and then 7 seasons either side of half a decade in Spain, and he's pretty much their most loved player after Diego.

Carlos Tevez is actually back at Boca.

Then you have both Van Persie and Kuyt going back to Feyernoord.

Robben is actually back at Groningen.

 

[GLUESODA]

Van der Vaart and Hamburg

Judas went back to the scum

Rooney and everton

Steven Pienaar at Everton

 

[wiggo24]

Pogba was quite an amusing one.

 

[aliyid]

I remember Klinsmann being terrible when he came back but people only seem to remember the four goals against Wimbledon.

Robbie Keane never repeated the heights of his first spell when he returned

Defoe’s 2nd stint was pretty decent but then he only had one season away.

I’m cautiously optimistic about Bales return. I don’t think he’ll hit the heights of his first spell but he’s got a better supporting cast so he won’t have to carry the team on his own.

 

[popstar7]

Peter Beardsley. Outstanding in one of the best ever Liverpool sides from 87-90. Went back to Newcastle six years after leaving them and was probably as good as he ever was with Keegan in the mid-90s.