[Archived] Players Who Never Fulfilled Their Potential

[sambo]

Failed to fulfil potential for us I'd say:

Grabbi

Bentley

Dunn

Phil Jones no better now than when he left us.

Ricters

Davis

Dahlin

patrik andersson who went to to captain barca and Sweden

England players who fail to reach potential usually come from wide positions:

Bentley again

Joe Cole

Wright Philips

Lennon

Dyer

Downing

Adam Johnson

Pennant

Richards I think he was called from citeh

Sure andros Townsend will be joining soon

The 90s saw an abundance of wasted attacking talent in an England shirt

John Barnes

Fowler

Ian Wright

Le tissier

Collymore

Gazza

Lee sharp

Even Sutton

Franny jeffers. Bit later

Then for rest of the world:

Robinho

Denison

Bendtner

Adriano

Freddy adu. Although not sure how good he was outside of champ man.

Bentley was brilliant for us - he could have done more had he stayed, but putting him alongside some of the players there seems to suggest he was a flop. He was our best player for a time.

As for Dunn, a small part of me is glad he didn't fulfill his full potential, as he would probably have been too good for us!

[Rover_Shaun]

martin 'tiny' taylor, will always be known for breaking eduardos leg.

Ed..who? I'll always remember Taylor for being a soft bugger.

[Give 'Em the Axe]

Marlon Broomes, that was a good call! Someone mentioned Keith Treacy, another good call.

Whatever happened to Marlon Broomes? I remember he was set to be the next big breakthrough player.

[scotty_beam_me_up]

I have no problem with players moving on. I think it was a unique selling point from Rovers that we were willing to let players go on after we had improved them. However I just felt Bentley went one year too soon. He had a major championships with England to look at. He should've stayed, played in that tournament and then gone. He still had plenty of time to make his money.

His interview on BTsport was brilliant a few weeks ago.

[Commondore]

One I always thought would make it at a higher level is Micah Richards. When the money came in at City opportunities were limited and it halted his progress. He could have done a lot worse than he has but I thought he was going to be a big player for England. Add S.Wright Phillips to that as well.

Wright-Phillips was always a speed merchant, when his legs went it wouldn't have mattered if he played 90 minutes for City every week.

I remember reading an interview with KB where he said he'd always sign himself on Champ Manager just to see how his career would go if he joined a big club. It was kind of sad.

Tonton Zola Moukoko was another one. Plummeted into oblivion after leaving Derby.

Bakircioglü might never have reached his full potential (and certainly not his FM 01/02 potential!) but he had a pretty solid career i the end. He played regularly for mid-table teams in both Holland and La Liga, and now spends the twilight of his career at his home town club in Sweden where he's adored by 25.000 fans every week.

From a Rovers perspective, I think we all expected great things to come from Jay McEveley and Jon Stead when they improbably broke into the team at the end of Souness' tenure. McEveley might have flattered to deceive and never really had the potential, but Stead looked almost unstoppable when he came into the team.

[tomphil]

Whatever happened to Marlon Broomes? I remember he was set to be the next big breakthrough player.

Played at PNE for quite a while I think.

[VinjayV4]

Played at PNE for quite a while I think.

Preston North End coincidentally where Callum Davidson ended up as well.

[perthblue02]

Finished playing in 2012 according to wiki now a scout for a Premier League team after a spell has Master of Ceremonies at Mitton Hall

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marlon_Broomes

[tomphil]

Preston North End coincidentally where Callum Davidson ended up as well.

I didn't think Davidson was that bad, granted he was no Le Saux but he got stuck in, lack of pace being his main downfall. Probably always a Championship style player who got lucky for a bit.

[oldjamfan1]

I didn't think Davidson was that bad, granted he was no Le Saux but he got stuck in, lack of pace being his main downfall. Probably always a Championship style player who got lucky for a bit.

He was an unbelievably good golfer, Callum Davidson!!

[tomphil]

Well I always thought he had a club (left) foot

[Norbert Rassragr]

Phil 'climax' Jones
David Dunn
Robinho
Joe Cole
Any big money English player who moved to Citeh

James Beattie

Darren Anderton

Mads Jorgensen

[thegrumpyman]

Bellamy - he obviously had a good career but I think he could have been even better. He was one of the most quality strikers we've had for some time. Just checked his wiki and to be fair he was a runner up in champs league so prob not as much a missed-opportunity than I'm claiming. Saw Paul Dickov on Sky Fantasy Football League show picking his best 1 to 11 and Bellamy was in there so reminded me of him.

[BlueMonday]

Ali Dia.

Had such high hopes for him.

[Dreyski]

How about Steve Bull? Scored shedloads of goals for Wolves, got called up for England while playing in the third tier(!), but could he have played for a top English or European club?

[rigger]

How about Steve Bull? Scored shedloads of goals for Wolves, got called up for England while playing in the third tier(!), but could he have played for a top English or European club?

I would have thought playing for your country would qualify as fulfilling your potential as a footballer.

[joey_big_nose]

The biggest English one of the last 30 years surely has to be Le Tissier - only player who can touch him in terms of natural talent is Gascoigne, maybe Scholes. Yet never won anything nor made an imprint for his country. Greatest ever Southampton player, but could have been so much more.

Real shame. An utterly brilliant performer.

[Tango]

Vratislav Greško was always one that, after signing permanently, never seemed to hit the heights he was capable of.

[jim mk2]

I would say Phil Jones is in danger of not fulfilling his potential - mainly because of injuries but also because he has not nailed down a permanent position at United and even when fit spends as much time on the bench as playing. He has also suffered because he is seen as utility player. He'd have been better staying at Rovers while we in the Premier League or moving to a club where he was guaranteed to be No 1 in his best position, which is probably centre half. You only improve as a player by playing - and Jones just doesn't play enough matches. If we can somehow get back in the PL in the next year or two Jones would be a good player to go for.

[oldjamfan1]

I would say Phil Jones is in danger of not fulfilling his potential - mainly because of injuries but also because he has not nailed down a permanent position at United and even when fit spends as much time on the bench as playing. He has also suffered because he is seen as utility player. He'd have been better staying at Rovers while we in the Premier League or moving to a club where he was guaranteed to be No 1 in his best position, which is probably centre half. You only improve as a player by playing - and Jones just doesn't play enough matches. If we can somehow get back in the PL in the next year or two Jones would be a good player to go for.

He should have signed for Liverpool Jim. He would have been one of the first names on their team sheet every week for as long as he wanted to play for them, and an England regular to boot.

[LDRover]

He should have signed for Liverpool Jim. He would have been one of the first names on their team sheet every week for as long as he wanted to play for them, and an England regular to boot.

Always thought that he was the perfect fit for Arsenal as well.

[Mark Atkins' Bald Patch]

Names like Marlon Broomes, Ciaran Donnelly, Jimmy Corbett etc. remind me of a friend of mine's time at Rovers in the early 90s ... Jonathan (or Jonny) Topley. Left footed midfield player who I think established himself in the reserves and was talked about as potentially progressing to the first team. Ankle injuries did it for him but he managed a decent career in the Irish league with Dungannon Swifts and Portadown. He retired at the end of last season.

Anyone remember Jonny Topley? what was the view on him locally?

[rigger]

Stuart Metcalfe

[Madon]

Corrado Grabbi.

[VinjayV4]

He should have signed for Liverpool Jim. He would have been one of the first names on their team sheet every week for as long as he wanted to play for them, and an England regular to boot.

Didn't even consider it. Heard he wouldn't even speak to Dalglish.