[Archived] What A Waste Of Talent

[Manc Rover]

After the comments about Jansen and his so close England representation what other players can you remember through blowing chances, injury, bad luck or career decisions has never actually fulfilled the potential that was given to them.

I think of some that still have time on their side to come good Duff and Dunn, those who peaked probably too early and now seem to fall away Ronaldo, Raul, Owen.

The most famous was Best, but I think also of Zola, Le Tissier, Kanchelskis

Kieron Dyer (mainly due to injuries but never as good as the hype)

Alan Smith (although he's been found out to be average at best)

Massimo Maccerone (looked a world beater v England but average in the Alan Smith mould)

Joaqim (looked unbelievable as a kid but now cant even start for Valencia)

Denilson (what was all the fuss about with him? - now midtable in la liga)

Nicolas Anelka (from champions league winner, league winner and fa cup winner to Bolton Wanderers - need I say more)!

[G Somerset Rover]

Noel Whelan-Strachan labelled him the next Alan Shearer and then he went abolsoutely pants! Nah In all seriousness as some have mentioned Gazza has to be number one by some margin. Continuing with the English theme Collymore had it all...except the mentality.

Finally how anybody can say that Ronaldo has wasted his talent is beyond belief- even when people ridiculed him at the last World Cup he still showed that he can score goals. It was the same with Shearer-once their pace had gone the goals dried up a little, but when a player has the finishing and off the ball ability that these two had then they'll continue to produce (Or in Shearer's case did).

[Manc Rover]

Noel Whelan-Strachan labelled him the next Alan Shearer and then he went abolsoutely pants! Nah In all seriousness as some have mentioned Gazza has to be number one by some margin. Continuing with the English theme Collymore had it all...except the mentality.

Finally how anybody can say that Ronaldo has wasted his talent is beyond belief- even when people ridiculed him at the last World Cup he still showed that he can score goals. It was the same with Shearer-once their pace had gone the goals dried up a little, but when a player has the finishing and off the ball ability that these two had then they'll continue to produce (Or in Shearer's case did).

100% agreed on Ronaldo - He single handedly won the world cup for Brazil in 2002 and he's already started bangin them in for Milan. He was one of many that went off the boil at Madrid and reckon there's a good few years in him yet.

Some more:

Sergei Rebrov

Georgi Kinkladze

Clive Allen

[speeeeeeedie]

Casper broke his leg whilst playing for Reading. He only made a handful of appearances for Man U. But still, I do agree that his leg break did him no favours.

Alan Hudson? 1 England cap.

Terry Cooke? "the next Giggs".

Ronaldo? 2 WC winners medals, goals aplenty wherever he's been. Injuries curtailed him, not extra curricular activities. He was unstoppable when he was young and thin.

[OJRovers]

Luke Chadwick - the next Beckham!!!

[1864roverite]

Stanley Bowles or Terry Curran are two fantastic examples

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Corrado Grabbi

[rover6]

Cieron Donally.

Currently on loan in the Conference (or he was recently) after being one of the FA's Platinum selected players at a young age. He was tipped for greatness but ended up at Blackpool!!!

Can I just take this opportunity to say that I never tipped Donnelly for greatness but merely suggested that he should be involved in first team squads and get appearances to further his development. This was following good reviews for the reserves, England U19s, on loan at Blackpool and having been called up into the first team squad along with Danns and Douglas and labelled a potential first team player for the future by Graeme Souness. And whilst, I was, it would seem wrong about his potential, had he been given first team action instead of Jon Douglas, bearing in mind the confidence that would've given him (not to mention the automatic 4-year deal) his career might've turned out very different. That's not to say he'd be a Premiership player now but I strongly suspect he would be playing in the football league.

I really doubt that Jon Douglas would be playing for a big club (excuse my language) in the Championship (not for long) if he hadn't been arbitrarily been given a first team chance by SOuness in a fit of desperation as a make-shift left winger after Steve McMahon's advice.

Err... yeah, and my tip for player who wasted their talents - Peter Enckelman. I know he had his aberration but for a keeper with international recognition and a good reputation as a shot-stopper, it's actually quite sad to see him wile away the best years of his career on our bench earning plenty of dough, no doubt, but doing jack.

[jim mk2]

David Bradford, Rovers midfield player of the early 70s, England's first million pound footballer according to manager Ken Furphy.

[tchocky]

Freddy Adu

[Flopsy]

obi mikel - but he is only young

John O'pies

[Nate]

I read that initially as `pants`

I don't wear any. Actually, that may of been the problem

[neekoy]

Ridiculous comment about Duff.

Worthington Cup winner and two Premiership titles and still only 27.

I don't believe so, after leaving us there was nothing predicted but greatness for one of the most natural left sided players of his generation but through injury and what I think was a poor decision to leave us has now ended his backside at Newcastle. I thought he would soon be standing on the podium looking to accept a European player of the year award.

And besides if anyone actually reads what I said, I said he still has time on his side to really make good on his potential.

How on Earth can Zola be on an underachievers list? The guy was a God amongst men in his time at Chelsea - he'd be up there in the top 5 foreigners ever to play in the Premiership in my opinion.

I don't think he underachieved, I think through being in the same generation as Baggio his true place was never recognised, one of the most brilliant players of the last 20 years and he only makes 35 apperances for Italy, only one in the 94 world cup and Italy crashed out in the first round at Euro 96. That was the extent of his competitive international career.

Quite a few Champions League finals, World Cup winners medals and World Player of the Year awards between those two wastes of talent.

*sigh* I swear nobody even read my full comments, they are not wastes of talent but in my opinion it appears that they may have peaked too early. All three in the last 5 years have had their careers slowly coming back to the feild, it is almost as sad to see players who never got there to see talents like these drift away in their mid twenties.

[promoted2001]

Wayne Rooney

Someone had to say it

Another is Kevin Davies

[ABBEY]

georgy donis!!!!!

[colin]

After the comments about Jansen and his so close England representation what other players can you remember through blowing chances, injury, bad luck or career decisions has never actually fulfilled the potential that was given to them.

Alan Shearer? Moved to Newcastle, won nothing.

[ABBEY]

haha col...last night ,gabby said to hansen ,dinglewright and shearer "ok show me your medals...ooops sorry alan" haha 1 medal and for us haha

[RevidgeBlue]

David Bradford, Rovers midfield player of the early 70s, England's first million pound footballer according to manager Ken Furphy.

Hee Hee, good one that jim, shame Trevor Francis beat him to it. (P.S. If Bradford was a 1m player, Stuart Metcalfe was a 2m player!)

Could I nominate Andy Crawford, the ultimate shin it in from a yard, goal poacher. Decided he was too good for us after scoring 20 odd goals and helping us win promotion from the old div 3 to div 2 in 1980.

Ended up - I dunno? - on the beach somewhere? (As we missed out on a second successive promotion to the top flight by a whisker)

[USABlue]

What was the name of the fella, played for Wolves, supposed to have been a tremendous talent but packed it all in to be a Jehovahs Witness or summat like that.

[Jimmy Jupiter]

Hee Hee, good one that jim, shame Trevor Francis beat him to it.

Dunno how true it is but doesn't the story go he was actually transferred for £999,999, so the tag of being the first million pound player didn't go to his head?

[Rovermatt]

After the comments about Jansen and his so close England representation what other players can you remember through blowing chances, injury, bad luck or career decisions has never actually fulfilled the potential that was given to them.

I think of some that still have time on their side to come good Duff and Dunn, those who peaked probably too early and now seem to fall away Ronaldo, Raul, Owen.

The most famous was Best, but I think also of Zola, Le Tissier, Kanchelskis

Zola was a class act and completely fulfilled his potential. That he was the star player in a pretty useless Chelsea side wasn't his problem.

Ronaldo has been named world player of the year three times and European player of the year twice. He's played in three World Cups, two finals (winning once, scoring both goals) and is the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history.

Raul is the captain of Real Madrid, the club's third highest scorer in history, and is bona fide Real royalty. He's also won the Champions League three times (scoring the winner in two finals) and has over 100 caps for Spain. He is the country's leading all-time goal-scorer.

Owen hasn't gained as much success or as many accolades but I would hardly class any of them in the category you mention.

[Rovermatt]

Alan Shearer? Moved to Newcastle, won nothing.

Shearer may have won nothing at Newcastle but he is undoubtedly the best striker the British game has had in the last 20 years. There is no way he didn't live up to his potential or the hype.

[bob fleming]

Cecil Fabregas. A reasonably good player but sadly it would appear, today at any rate, he’s destined to never win anything. The loser.

[FourLaneBlue]

Owen hasn't gained as much success or as many accolades but I would hardly class any of them in the category you mention.

European player of the year, played in three World Cups, has played for two of the world's greatest clubs and...er...Newcastle. Won FA Cup, League Cup, Uefa Cup etc. In the top ten list of goalscorers for his country despite an injury-raddled career and still only being in his mid-twenties. In fact if it wasn't for so many shocking injuries I do think we would be talking in much grander terms about him.

Not exactly Grabbi!

[FourLaneBlue]

Cecil Fabregas. A reasonably good player but sadly it would appear, today at any rate, he’s destined to never win anything. The loser.

Time is certainly running out for him as he is down to his last two decades or so to win something.

What a choker!