Former players who deserved a shot at a higher level

Nico87

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Iv'e got a feeling that this thread may be deemed unnecessary as its not to dissimilar to threads like players you had forgotten existed, and underrated players type thread, but having watched numerous premiership years recently I wanted to try my own variation. what players do you think from the premiership era deserved a shot at a higher level but for whatever reason never materialised despite the fact they would have been easily obtainable at the time.

Doesn't necessarily have to be as a star man but a very useful edition to the squad when there was a clear deficiency at a title hopeful at the time. Also not sure players like Le Tissier or Juninho belong on here as I don't think they were really willing to move.

Tugay
One of my favourite players to watch of the premier Leauge Era and the main reason I created the thread, I can't remember the specifics but don't know why he wasted so many quality years at a middling club like Blackburn. At a time we had Djemba-Djemba and Kleberson watching a middling Blackburn side have someone better than the 2 put together was perplexing, strong in the tackle, absolute thunderbolt of a shot and great passing range, really thought he would have been great at any club.

Brad Fridel
Another Blackburn player, considering the trouble we had replacing Schemicheal there was a possible solution only 30 miles away, wouldn't have been hard to notice him as he always produced a world class performers against us we got our answer when we hot Van Der Saar but then clubs like Arsenal had keeper issues yet nobody seemed to want him, among the best keepers in the premiership era.

Olof Melberg
Eventually got his shot at the big time at Juventus but only lasted a year (not sure why) but always felt he was better suited to the premiership as he loved a physical battle, can see why Liverpool and Chelsea never went for him as they always had solid partnerships during his peak, but ourselves untill we signed Vidic and Arsenal throughout could have used him to great affect.

Kevin Phillips
Was never going to be leading man for any title chasing club but would have been a useful cover or option for the bench, he reminded me of out own Ole in the way he finished, his all round player was solid albeit unspectacular but if you gave him one chance he usually buried it, with better service I suspect he would have got 20+ Leauge goals.

Feel free to add players from Europe who never played for an elite club but you felt could have done, I'm mostly fo using on the premiership as that is what I watched most during these era's.
 
Les Ferdinand. Although Newcastle were fairly big at the time.
 
Seamus Coleman. Not former but first player i could think of as he won't get it now.
 
Alan Shearer...Yeah Yeah he won the league with Blackburn and that, but this is a guy that should have won way more trophies than he did.
 
Van Persie should have left Arsenal four years earlier. Arsenal were a club fighting for fourth after 2008 and Van Persie deserved more.
 
Not former but Niangollan should have played at higher levels throughout his career. Would have loved to see him in the premier league at his peak.

In before someone says DDG :(
 
As has been said Shearer and Le Tissier are the first two that spring to mind.
Chilavert and Valderrama could have been fun to watch at a big European club.
Maybe Stuart Pearce
 
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Tugay's the perfect example of this! Joined Blackburn at 31 hence why they were able to keep hold of him for so long, no doubt if he was 5 years younger one of the big clubs would've snapped him up.
 
Steve Bull.

Scored millions of goals in the lower leagues for Wolves. Scored a few goals for England aswell in his 6-7 caps and went to 90 World cup.

Never played in premier league.
 
As has been said Shearer and Le Tissier are the first two that spring to mind.
Chilavert and Valderrama could have been fun to watch at a big European club.
Maybe Stuart Pearce

Shearer played a couple of years in CL for Blackburn and Newcastle and in plenty of international tournaments so wouldn't have him in this thread just because he didn't win many major trophies.
 
Moutinho. Always wanted him at United. At the top he moved to Monaco I felt he could've joined most top teams in the worldm
 
Jeremy touloulan. Had incredible passing range.

I’d say Marouane Fellaini. Same club but wish he was part of our 09-12 squad

He at least played a few years in CL as did Arteta for Arsenal. From that period Tim Cahill never did for example.
 
Lee Trundle. He had insane ability and would love to see what he could do with proper coaching.
 
Thought Di Canio was better then Celtic, Sheff Wed and West Ham level

He was at AC Milan and I think maybe Juventus and didn't impose himself on either. He came to mind when people were talking about Payet last week on here, probably the sort that likes to be the star at a club rather than just one of many good players at an elite club.

No big clubs probably wanted him to take him either when he pushed the ref aswell.
 
Krassimir Balakov the Bulgarian maestro.

He did have a very good club career becoming a legend for Sporting Lisbon and Stuttgart, but even after pulling the strings for Bulgaria at '94 a bigger move never materialised. By that point he was nearing 30 though, so the chance for the biggest clubs to take notice had mostly passed. With it being such a good era for creative midfield players, a few were bound to miss out on big moves, if he were around for this decade where it seems only Spain and to a lesser extent maybe Germany can seemingly produce them in any kind of volume, he'd have a great chance of getting a lot more recognition.
 
Van Persie should have left Arsenal four years earlier. Arsenal were a club fighting for fourth after 2008 and Van Persie deserved more.

Nonsense.

I'll leave aside the higher level part of the question, but where exactly do you think RVP could have gone and been successful?

The guy was made of glass in those days. It might have been 2008 or the year before where he injured his foot celebrating a goal and was out for the rest of the season. In fact, it was 2007. No other club or manager would have had the patience with 2008 Van Persie and his injuries. He had three separate injuries that season.

He missed several months of every single season up until the 2011-12, after which he promptly left. I can't think of another top club where he would have remained first choice for so long. He would have been sold or demoted to back up striker ages ago.
 
Joaquin was really good.

Vicente was another excellent Spanish winger around that time who like Joaquin was constantly linked to Real Madrid but never happened as they were locked into the Galactico project at the time. Real Madrid would probably sign both nowadays.

Edit: Probably worth comparing them both to Reyes who had numerous seasons in CL with Arsenal and Madrid and I don't think he was better than either.
 
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Shame his move to us didn't happen as I think he'd have made an impact here
West Ham were looking for £3.5M...we were offering £500k....

Wasn't he about 34 when you wanted to sign him? Would've been short term move although it did work with Sheringham so Fergie was probably looking for similar impact.

Edit: Di Canio didn't win a single Italy cap so he certainly qualifies for this thread.
 
Ledley King could have been (almost) as good as Rio if not for his injuries I think.
 
Already been mentioned by someone else but I think Jermaine Defoe would have been fantastic at a club like United or Arsenal. Wenger was always after the fox in the box and there was no better than Defeo for sniffing out goals.
 
Figure of fun these days but I'd say Merson aswell.

Left Arsenal at exactly the wrong time, 1997 to join Boro who were in the second division. Then joined us and while we were regulars in the top half, not as successful as we were were mid 90s.

If he'd stayed at Arsenal he could've been a good squad player and won loads of trophies as Ray Parlour did.

Ginola also a shout. Wonderful player but ignored by France and also top clubs when he was ripping it up at Spurs so not good the trophy collection pretty much all his French team mates at the time had.
 
Erik Mykland.
He would be a cult hero at any BIG club he would have played at.

I remember him. Norway midfielder with the massive beard at 98 world Cup I think? Should've just found an English club like the vast majority of that squad did. Berg, Flo, Ole, Leonhardson, Grodas, Bjornebye etc....
 
I always thought it was weird that Peter Shilton and Terry Butcher never played for the really big English clubs (I appreciate Forest and Ipswich were great sides while they were there). Big Ron tried to sign them both for United I think.