The last few days, with threads involving greatest non-United players have highlighted the distinction people make between pre-injury players and the shadow of themselves some become after the accursed damage is put upon them. Petr Cech is the reason for this thread, actually, as the pre-injury version was on course to be up there with the greatest keepers ever, but post-injury, he was still very, very good, but no longer in that phenomenal banding he was pre-helmet, which is a shame.
Ronaldo is the poster boy for this thread and I guess the bona fide starter up front given, prior to injury he was expected to become the greatest player of all-time outright, and post-injury was 'only' world class and nothing like the player he used to be.
Del Piero is another strong candidate. Just a ridiculous prodigy before he was injured. After that, he was never close to his previous levels and became a shadow of the player he was (testament to how incredible he was pre-injury, really).
Michael Own is yet another - his trajectory and brilliance were taken before he'd even got started, really. He was a good player post-injury, but not even close to the player he was prior.
Anyway, what's the greatest xi you can come up with whose true level of greatness was curtailed, or totally ruined, by injury? The only rule is they have to have kept on playing for some seasons after, so none of the likes of Van Basten, who simply retired, which is different kettle of fish to what the rest did.
Ronaldo is the poster boy for this thread and I guess the bona fide starter up front given, prior to injury he was expected to become the greatest player of all-time outright, and post-injury was 'only' world class and nothing like the player he used to be.
Del Piero is another strong candidate. Just a ridiculous prodigy before he was injured. After that, he was never close to his previous levels and became a shadow of the player he was (testament to how incredible he was pre-injury, really).
Michael Own is yet another - his trajectory and brilliance were taken before he'd even got started, really. He was a good player post-injury, but not even close to the player he was prior.
Anyway, what's the greatest xi you can come up with whose true level of greatness was curtailed, or totally ruined, by injury? The only rule is they have to have kept on playing for some seasons after, so none of the likes of Van Basten, who simply retired, which is different kettle of fish to what the rest did.
