Are there any players that were really good, but "wasted" their prime?

[Eli Zee]

There are so many talented players out there that never quite reached the levels they should have... you can tell they are really good, but when you sit back and look at their career, they never really won any trophies or they never challenged themself enough (big fish, small pond).

Sometimes, it's because they are a part of a bad team, such as Manchester United in transition for the last decade(sorry De Gea). I wouldn't consider De Gea having a wasted career, but just that if he had joined another club at the time(which he could in his prime), he may have ended up with 2CL titles and a few league titles, or something.... he was good enough to deserve a few titles that he never got over the last decade by playing with us.

Other times, it can come down to the player having bad habits, a bad mentality, etc.

Who comes to mind when you think of someone that was a very good player, especially In their prime, but for one reason or another, never turned that into a successful career?

 

[gormless]

Kane the preeminent example surely.

 

[77]

Ravel Morrison

 

[Theonas]

Zlatan somehow managed to have won a lot but barely a top league or anywhere near the CL. His time in Italy was when Serie A was at its weakest and a far cry from La Liga or PL. he had that one year with Barcelona playing elite football but failed to show up in his only CL semis. A serial league winner but could have been more if he played his best years outside of France or a relatively weak Italian league.

 

[Blood Mage]

I know Pogba won a world cup but he had the talent to be as prolific as Modric/Xavi/Iniesta etc. and wasted many years playing in crap United teams. Imagine 25 year old Pogba playing under Ten Hag right now.

 

[SydneyRoughDiamond]

Le Tissier
Shearer
Gazza

 

[Joga Bonito]

Harsh and I know he won the Euro with Italy, but Marco Veratti. His career overall just seems a tad underwhelming, relative to his pedigree. No doubt that injuries played a part though.

 

[DJ Jeff]

Prob an unpopular shout here but Nani made it to his prime then couldn't make it last any decent length. He should've been excellent as he was in 2011 right up until 2015. Instead it was basically over 12 months later.

 

[Murder on Zidane's Floor]

Hatem Ben Arfa

 

[slored1]

Neymar. A bloody brilliant footballer that tainted his legacy by going to PSG.

 

[Blood Mage]

Adriano another good shout, a player who could've reached R9 levels if not for injuries and fitness issues.

 

[adexkola]

How do you know what their "true level" is?

Maybe what they've shown you is their true level and should be appreciated for what it is, instead of thinking "what if, unlike every other human being, they had no impediments or flaws in their life"

 

[Carl]

van Nistelrooy
Shearer
Henrik Larson
Veratti (still hope?)
van Persie

 

[Carl]

Harsh and I know he won the Euro with Italy, but Marco Veratti. His career overall just seems a tad underwhelming, relative to his pedigree. No doubt that injuries played a part though.

It's a crime he's wasting his entire career in that league.

 

[adexkola]

Oh, and of course to "enlightened" PL fans, any time not spent in the PL (facing the likes of Everton and Southampton) is a waste. Hence calls for Mbappe to come prove himself on a stage higher than that of the World Cup

 

[Goldfiessli]

Balotelli

 

[tomaldinho1]

I know Pogba won a world cup but he had the talent to be as prolific as Modric/Xavi/Iniesta etc. and wasted many years playing in crap United teams. Imagine 25 year old Pogba playing under Ten Hag right now.

I think this is honestly one of the biggest myths of modern football, that Pogba was ever close to that level. We watched Pogba for years and saw exactly what he was over many seasons, a skilful but erratic midfielder who couldn't nail down a specific role (both himself and managers to blame) who we kept referring to as world class because of how he played in a stacked Juve team and a stacked France team. He has nowhere near the footballing ability of any of those three midfielders you mentioned.

Waste of prime, probably Shearer, Kane, Le Tisser, Riquleme, Zola arguably

 

[MyOnlySolskjaer]

van Nistelrooy
Shearer
Henrik Larson
Veratti (still hope?)
van Persie

Van Persie wasn’t always a 30 goal striker. Very different case to the others. The first moment he gave an indication he was that level he moved and won a league title. His prime was very short.

 

[Carl]

I think this is honestly one of the biggest myths of modern football, that Pogba was ever close to that level. We watched Pogba for years and saw exactly what he was over many seasons, a skilful but erratic midfielder who couldn't nail down a specific role (both himself and managers to blame) who we kept referring to as world class because of how he played in a stacked Juve team and a stacked France team. He has nowhere near the footballing ability of any of those three midfielders you mentioned.

Waste of prime, probably Shearer, Kane, Le Tisser, Riquleme, Zola arguably

If Le Tisser didn't score some spectacular goals he'd never be in these conversations.

 

[Pughnichi]

Di Canio? Believe we went for him whilst still at WH. He turned SAF down after WH supported him following that ref incident.

around 2000/2001?..,surely he could have won a few trophies here with us

he would have been loved at OT.

 

[yumtum]

Harsh and I know he won the Euro with Italy, but Marco Veratti. His career overall just seems a tad underwhelming, relative to his pedigree. No doubt that injuries played a part though.

I'd probably say any player who chose to stay in Ligue 1 woth PSG during their peak would fall into this category:

Things Silva, Cavani, Neymar, Marquinhos and as you mentioned, Veratti.

 

[tomaldinho1]

If Le Tisser didn't score some spectacular goals he'd never be in these conversations.

That's like saying if Kane didn't score as many he wouldn't be as good...Le Tisser was a great player and a real joy to watch. He's a moron now but he should have played regularly in Europe.

 

[harms]

Guti — it's hard to say that he had failed, having made 542 appearances for Madrid & winning 15 trophies... but if you saw him play, you know what I'm talking about.

 

[Carl]

That's like saying if Kane didn't score as many he wouldn't be as good...Le Tisser was a great player and a real joy to watch. He's a moron now but he should have played regularly in Europe.

No it isn't. I'm saying a few spectacular goals is what puts Le Tissier on the pedestal. You can't really compare that to repeated 30 goal seasons like Kane.

You're right he's a moron now. You're incorrect to say he was a great player, when he never actually got near that level.

 

[Dr. Dwayne]

Personally I think it's a big leap to assume players have wasted their career because they didn't win enough trophies.

It's possible that many players are satisfied with having a career as a professional footballer because they love playing.

 

[KeanoMagicHat]

People talk about trophies but for me wasted is more a player who is a star player somewhere else and leaves to become a substitute or bit-part player at a top club. Grealish last season was a waste for City in some ways, even though he won the league. Just becoming a boring Pep winger with no personality, playing second choice games, when he could be the main creative player for someone else.

 

[Becks00]

Jay Jay Okocha

Should have achieved far better than he did with his talent

 

[Rooney in Paris]

How do you know what their "true level" is?

Maybe what they've shown you is their true level and should be appreciated for what it is, instead of thinking "what if, unlike every other human being, they had no impediments or flaws in their life"

Oh, and of course to "enlightened" PL fans, any time not spent in the PL (facing the likes of Everton and Southampton) is a waste. Hence calls for Mbappe to come prove himself on a stage higher than that of the World Cup

God you're tiresome. It's a good thread, if you'd taken the time to actually read through it, instead of rolling up your sleeves to post your contradictory shit

 

[Carl]

Personally I think it's a big leap to assume players have wasted their career because they didn't win enough trophies.

It's possible that many players are satisfied with having a career as a professional footballer because they love playing.

I'm inclined to agree, especially when it comes to those that have stayed at the club they support. Having said that, it could still be considered a waste - if not to them, to everyone else for what they could have delivered in different teams.

 

[KeanoMagicHat]

Personally I think it's a big leap to assume players have wasted their career because they didn't win enough trophies.

It's possible that many players are satisfied with having a career as a professional footballer because they love playing.

And also that personal achievement of winning trophies in a minor role vs playing in a smaller team as the hero and legend of the club. Does Kalvin Phillips get more satisfaction than Ward Prowse because he is picking up a few trophies but his manager doesn’t rate him at all and he’s fallen out of England reckoning? That’s an extreme example but it’s all relative to each context. Trophies aren’t everything.

 

[John_Jensen]

Bryan Robson

 

[simonhch]

I know Pogba won a world cup but he had the talent to be as prolific as Modric/Xavi/Iniesta etc. and wasted many years playing in crap United teams. Imagine 25 year old Pogba playing under Ten Hag right now.

Bunch of nonsense. Biggest myth in football. Was never even remotely close to even having the potential to be as good as any of those. Could have been more, but he’s the most overrated player in the modern game.

Le Tissier
Shearer
Gazza

Decent shouts. Shearer all time PL top scorer, so not a wasted career, but he should’ve played for a top side.

Harsh and I know he won the Euro with Italy, but Marco Veratti. His career overall just seems a tad underwhelming, relative to his pedigree. No doubt that injuries played a part though.

Yes.

Adriano another good shout, a player who could've reached R9 levels if not for injuries and fitness issues.

Never would’ve been R9 levels, didn’t have the technical brilliance of R9, but he could’ve been a world class striker for many many years. Crying shame. Good shout.

 

[AshRK]

Neymar and Mbappe wasting their talent in french league.

 

[tomaldinho1]

No it isn't. I'm saying a few spectacular goals is what puts Le Tissier on the pedestal. You can't really compare that to repeated 30 goal seasons like Kane.

You're right he's a moron now. You're incorrect to say he was a great player, when he never actually got near that level.

I'm assuming you're under 30? You can't have watched the late football league and early PL and think this. Not to mentioned he played a different position to Kane, played in a weak team and even if his stats weren't enough (FYI they more than are) he was extremely creative and technical as a player.

Quote from Xavi:

"We used to say: 'This guy, Le Tissier, is outrageous and he never goes to a big team. He stays at Southampton. It's incredible. He could play for anyone.'
"Our whole house was obsessed with him."

 

[Chekov]

Adriano is the first that comes to mind.

Extreme talent wasted on alchoholism that i think started when his beloved father passed away to early while Adriano were evolving into one of the most feared forward at the moment.

Prime Adriano was a rare combination of technique and power. He scored some long-distance shots that haven't been replicated since. Closest is Ibrahimovic who loved to play with Adriano in Inter just before Adriano went into alcoholism and not caring about football.

 

[KeanoMagicHat]

Bunch of nonsense. Biggest myth in football. Was never even remotely close to even having the potential to be as good as any of those. Could have been more, but he’s the most overrated player in the modern game.

Agreed, Pogba has achieved a lot in his career for being terribly inconsistent and that inconsistency and mentality is the reason he’s not on the same level as those players. And his game just simply isn’t good enough at some bread and butter skills like awareness and game knowledge, doesn’t matter that he’s a supreme athlete and excellent passer, you need the whole package/mental attributes to go with it.

 

[Acheron]

Had De Gea joined Real Madrid his career would had been better with more titles and recognition but things turned very good for us so it was probably for the best.

I also think it was a waste for Griezmann to end up at Atlético right after leaving Real Sociedad, thought he would had done better for us or any other top team in a different league.

 

[ROFLUTION]

Mbappe.

I know it sounds strange as he’s won the World Cup, but he has the talent of Messi and Ronaldo and is wasting it all in the french league. His ceiling is way too high for that league.

 

[Mr.Hik]

Zlatan somehow managed to have won a lot but barely a top league or anywhere near the CL. His time in Italy was when Serie A was at its weakest and a far cry from La Liga or PL. he had that one year with Barcelona playing elite football but failed to show up in his only CL semis. A serial league winner but could have been more if he played his best years outside of France or a relatively weak Italian league.

Ajax, Juve, Inter, AC Milan, PSG, Man UTD.
What a loser.

 

[MVBDX]

Mbappe's club career, though it might change.