Players with the steepest declines

[JSArsenal]

A lot of shouts in here are for players who hit 30+ and then their form declined. I think that is a bit unfair because of course a player's form is going to drop once he reaches a certain age.

Are there any examples besides Rooney and Ronaldinho of a player having a steep decline in his 20s?

 

[MAME DIOUF 32]

Was thinking about how fast Antonio Valencia declined earlier. A beast from 2009-2012, then bulked up and forgot how to play football.

Valencia is a physical player who lost 10%. He's slower to every challenge and that's why he's gone from being a very good right back to a constant booking risk. He doesn't have the defensive brain to compensate, which tbf is hardly surprising given that he's a converted winger.

 

[duffer]

Are there any examples besides Rooney and Ronaldinho of a player having a steep decline in his 20s?

It's usually injury related (eg Michael Owen) but being 30/31/32 is not old if the player looks after themselves.

 

[Karel Podolsky]

Tomas Rosicky.

 

[Josh 76]

Fowler is a good shout as well, is he not?

To be fair with Fowler, he had a serious injury.
Infact after Leeds signed him, I was at a corporate event with Norman Hunter (ex Leeds) and Tommy Smith (ex Liverpool).
So Norman thanks Tommy for a great deal for Fowler, and Tommys reply 'he's finished!'.

 

[RochaRoja]

Andy Carroll and Christian Benteke both unrecognizable playing in a Liverpool shirt. Since than playing for their current clubs gone from bad to worse. Both Prolific goalscorers at Newcastle and Aston Villa.

Carroll was just a flash in the pan. A few good months in the PL but wasn’t even a stand out player in the Championship the season before.

 

[ShadesOfTomato]

Luis Suarez.

Every time people think he's finished, he just seems to keep going.

 

[RochaRoja]

Surprised no one has mentioned Raul.

Of course one of the best strikers in the world in the late 90s/early 00s. Then in 2003 he scored twice v Man. United in the famous CL tie that season and afterwards SAF called him the best striker in the world which wasn't an unreasonable opinion.

Think after the game he had to have an operation and he missed the Ronaldo second leg at OT. At this point he's only still 25 despite being around for nearly a decade.

Few seasons after he stil scored decent o.k but to me lost that spark that made him an elite player. Think that was summed up by his international career. Played his last Spain matches in 2006 when he just turned 29.

Left Madrid and did fine at Schalke when he was about 31. Mentioned the Saviola/Owen comparison and I'd say Raul and Wayne Rooney followed very similar paths in their careers. Brilliant at club level until 28/29 and could never meet same expectations for national teams and both were done by age of 30.

Raúl was voted the best player in La Liga in 2007-08 and is a legend at Schalke.

He definitely declined in the mid-00s and had a few less than stellar years at Madrid but he didn’t completely fall of a cliff like many of the players mentioned.

His national team career was ended by his political standing in the dressing room. There’s no justifiable footballing reason for leaving him out of the Euro 2008 squad for a nothing player like Sergio García.

 

[Bobski]

Kaka and Ronaldinho both had very short periods being considered among the top 2-3 in the world then dropped off quickly.

For Utd Lee Sharpe was pretty much washed up by his mid 20's, and I wonder if Eric would have picked up if he had carried on for another 2 years, perhaps picked the perfect time to retire.

Did Ozil decline or did the game just move on and his style became less successful?

 

[RochaRoja]

Good shout. Always looked class for Chelsea and there was a lot of noise about us signing him for a free in 2010. Went to Liverpool, I think got sent off on his debut and never really recovered from that.

Cole was already done by then. People remember the backheel at Old Trafford but that was one of the few things of note he did in his final two seasons at Chelsea.

 

[RochaRoja]

Kaka and Ronaldinho both had very short periods being considered among the top 2-3 in the world then dropped off quickly.

For Utd Lee Sharpe was pretty much washed up by his mid 20's, and I wonder if Eric would have picked up if he had carried on for another 2 years, perhaps picked the perfect time to retire.

Did Ozil decline or did the game just move on and his style became less successful?

I don’t think Özil’s finished by a long shot. Put him in the right system under the right coach and he’ll still be a hugely influential player.

 

[red4ever 79]

Rooney, Torres, Sanchez, Kaka, off the top of my head

 

[RochaRoja]

Julio Cesar is another. Probably the best Goalkeeper in the world at Inter, wins the treble and finds himself at QPR 2 years later.

Maicon too. He was considered the best fullback in the world when Dani Alves was at his peak and turned to shite overnight.

 

[Kag]

Torres instantly springs to mind.

I remember Liverpool fans arguing that his decline started a little before he left but he rocked up at Chelsea for a huge fee and barely resembled a Premier League footballer, never mind one of Europe’s best strikers (which he absolutely was for a number of years). Bizarre.

 

[Bobski]

I don’t think Özil’s finished by a long shot. Put him in the right system under the right coach and he’ll still be a hugely influential player.

Very possible, the criticism could be a lack of development in his game if anything, plateaued and other teams started to see his weaknesses. If he had become more of a goal threat for instance, added something extra his career could still be at a peak, Arsenal was a bad move for him.

 

[RochaRoja]

Very possible, the criticism could be a lack of development in his game if anything, plateaued and other teams started to see his weaknesses. If he had become more of a goal threat for instance, added something extra his career could still be at a peak, Arsenal was a bad move for him.

In terms of living up to his potential, no doubt.

Özil doesn’t seem to be a personality who is particularly driven to get every last drop out of his talent though. He’s more of a Hazard type, only he got the “dream move” to Madrid earlier in his career. The pressure free environment and massive wage under Wenger probably suited him to a tee.

 

[el3mel]

I don’t think Özil’s finished by a long shot. Put him in the right system under the right coach and he’ll still be a hugely influential player.

Hardly any team plays with number 10 currently and he can't play as 8 in 4-3-3 due to him being a passenger without the ball.

 

[RedRonaldo]

Has to be Adriano

From one of the best upcoming star player, to a shite player overnight, without even reaching his peak years.

 

[Peyroteo]

Ozil is barely any worse than he was in his prime, the circumstances just changed.

He's a luxury player, put him in the right system and he'd still thrive.

 

[Cloud7]

Maicon too. He was considered the best fullback in the world when Dani Alves was at his peak and turned to shite overnight.

After the Spurs game when Bale destroyed him he seemed to lose it overnight, Space Jam style

 

[MadDogg]

Ronaldinho has to be one of the main ones. From being the undisputed best player in the world and looking like he was going to go on to be one of the best ever, to pretty much overnight becoming a flashy but inconsistent player that never got close to that level again.

I think you got the dates wrong It was the 07-08 season when his decline started
in 06-07 scored 24 goals in all comps which was his 2nd best season

Ronaldinho still scored plenty of goals, but he was nowhere near his best in 06/07. 05/06 was his last great season.

 

[shamans]

Robinho?

 

[thepolice123]

Shevchenko's one I recall most vividly. Chelsea absolutely steamrolled the league for 2 consecutive seasons before and they strengthened the squad with an absolute superstar. I remember the feeling of dread when he scored on his debut against Liverpool. There was also Abramovich cheering wildly at the side. I geniunely thought Chelsea were going to destroy the league again.

However, as it would turn out, the purchase of Shevchenko would begin the downfall of both Mourinho and Chelsea.

 

[Lennon7]

Van Persie’s certainly up there. Weird this threads popped up cause I made the same point in the Van Persie retiring thread!

 

[Aloysius's Back 3]

I find Rooney as a player who declined fast is unfair. He had so many good seasons. He just got to a stage where he could not be give a free spot in the starting XI.

Similar to ozil - his game hasn't changed but a team can't utilise him the way he was previously done.

 

[SportingCP96]

Torres for sure. I have no idea what happened to him it was literally overnight it was shocking. I remember the season he left to Chelsea he has just found his form again and scored 2x vs Chelsea and then went on a run. Then he was sold and the rest is history.

 

[BAMSOLA]

Shevchenko's one I recall most vividly. Chelsea absolutely steamrolled the league for 2 consecutive seasons before and they strengthened the squad with an absolute superstar. I remember the feeling of dread when he scored on his debut against Liverpool. There was also Abramovich cheering wildly at the side. I geniunely thought Chelsea were going to destroy the league again.

However, as it would turn out, the purchase of Shevchenko would begin the downfall of both Mourinho and Chelsea.

This for me. I genuinely expected him to steamroll the division and hand them at least the next 3 titles on at a canter, a few months later I couldn't stop laughing at how hopeless he looked over here having been one the most feared Serie A strikers in recent memory before he left for England.

 

[Bobski]

Tomas Rosicky.

Injuries.

Such a pity because at Dortmund it looked as if he was on the verge of becoming one of the very best in the world. Beautiful player to watch before his body let him down.

 

[MackRobinson]

This for me. I genuinely expected him to steamroll the division and hand them at least the next 3 titles on at a canter, a few months later I couldn't stop laughing at how hopeless he looked over here having been one the most feared Serie A strikers in recent memory before he left for England.

Chelsea is where strikers die.

 

[Josep Dowling]

Has to be Adriano

From one of the best upcoming star player, to a shite player overnight, without even reaching his peak years.

His decline coincided with his father dying. There was a good article about him on the BBC.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/article/81bd6a47-38f7-4087-a666-e07e25e1988b

 

[SCP]

One player during the 90's who completely dropped off the radar was Igor Shalimov.

Probably @Demyanenko_square_jaw knows better than me why. Going from Spartak under Romantsev to Foggia under Zeman where alongside Signori or Baiano they completely blitzed Serie A, then 2 years at Inter where he was more influential than Bergkamp or Jonk and won the UEFA Cup in 94.

After that season he was loaned to Duisburg don't know why and his performance levels completely dropped off. Not to mention when he was 30 his carrer at Napoli was over related with the famous nandrolone suspensions who were "frequent" on Serie A during the late 90's.

 

[Karlos PFC]

Not as big a name as the ones mentioned above and I'm not sure why he's the first I remembered, but .... Mario Jardel.
Look at his goal scoring record before and after 2003 ffs.

Years Team Apps (Gls)
1991–1996 Vasco da Gama 50 (26)
1995–1996 → Grêmio (loan) 73 (67)
1996–2000 Porto 125 (130)
2000–2001 Galatasaray 24 (22)
2001–2003 Sporting CP 49 (53)
2003–2004 Bolton Wanderers 7 (0)
2004–2005 Newell's Old Boys 3 (3)
2005–2006 Goiás 4 (1)
2006–2007 Beira-Mar 12 (3)
2007 Anorthosis Famagusta 7 (2)
2007–2008 Newcastle Jets 11 (0)
2008 Criciúma 17 (6)
2009 Ferroviário 6 (5)
2009 América (CE) 11 (8)
2010 Flamengo (PI) 16 (12)
2010 Cherno More 8 (1)
2010–2011 Rio Negro 13 (8)

Don't know if this has been mentioned before, but Jardel (one of the best striker of the 90's) was a coke-head. A few years back I think I read something that he was arrested (I maybe wrong).
Deadly finisher though

 

[led_scholes]

Michu.

Also, de Pedro of Real Sociedad. From being an integral part of a relative good team, he went on to play 4-5 competitive games for the rest of his career after he joined Blackburn and he was only 31.

 

[Arruda]

Are there any examples besides Rooney and Ronaldinho of a player having a steep decline in his 20s?

Haven't read the whole thread so don't know if he's been mentioned, but Mário Jardel maintained a gpg ratio of 1 for seven seasons, something you wouldn't see again until Ronaldo and Messi, but when he switched to Bolton, at 29, he just became crap and never recovered. In his case it certainly wasn't age, a bad divorce, depression and cocain addiction (don't know which came first) were the culprits.

 

[Demyanenko_square_jaw]

One player during the 90's who completely dropped off the radar was Igor Shalimov.

Probably @Demyanenko_square_jaw knows better than me why. Going from Spartak under Romantsev to Foggia under Zeman where alongside Signori or Baiano they completely blitzed Serie A, then 2 years at Inter where he was more influential than Bergkamp or Jonk and won the UEFA Cup in 94.

After that season he was loaned to Duisburg don't know why and his performance levels completely dropped off. Not to mention when he was 30 his carrer at Napoli was over related with the famous nandrolone suspensions who were "frequent" on Serie A during the late 90's.

Shalimov was one of the biggest examples of the poor professionalism that developed in a lot of the late 80s and early '90s generation of ex-ussr players when they moved West. A lot of them did well initially then after a couple of seasons decided they preferred the lifestyle and partying over the amount of dedication needed to stay at a high level, Kulkov, Korneev, Mikhailichenko, Lediakhov, Yuran etc..

I remember Shalimov in interviews when he was doing really well at Inter moaning and complaining about the level he was expected to maintain week in and out, despite in his eyes having proved himself by playing a great six months or so and seeing off Matthias Sammer(they could have played together, but i guess he saw him as direct competition because off the strict foreigner rules) it wasn't that surprising that within a couple of years he had dialled back the effort and become more of an inconsistent mid-table player that would put in the occasional great performance against the bigger teams.

He also lead the player revolt of the National Team after the 94 world cup qualifiers which destroyed all unity in the squad for the final tournament and meant quite a few first team players like Kanchelskis didn't go.

Probably one of my least liked players ever, though i have to admit he was an excellent footballer when he could be bothered, very elegant, great vision, technically gifted, equally good with both feet and was developing into a good goalscorer too. 18 league goals alone in those first two Serie A seasons was impressive for a genuine midfielder. It was only beasts like Matthaus that were exceeding that in Italy at the time from midfield.

There's a short clip of some of his Inter goals with some great finishes.

 

[Catt]

A shootout for Adriano who had a very short career.

 

[pierrethesnack]

I find Rooney as a player who declined fast is unfair. He had so many good seasons. He just got to a stage where he could not be give a free spot in the starting XI.

Similar to ozil - his game hasn't changed but a team can't utilise him the way he was previously done.

Totally unrelated, but username made me laugh

 

[pierrethesnack]

A lot of shouts in here are for players who hit 30+ and then their form declined. I think that is a bit unfair because of course a player's form is going to drop once he reaches a certain age.

Are there any examples besides Rooney and Ronaldinho of a player having a steep decline in his 20s?

Torres was in his late 20s when he started declining, I think?

 

[lysglimt]

To use the term "steep decline" feels a bit wrong when it comes to Thomas Brolin (at least if we are talking about his weight) - but he is one of the first players I think about.

One of the best players in the 94 world cup - several good Seasons for Parma - and once he signed for Leeds in 1995, his career was practically over before he turned 26.

It's also hard to not mention Kleberson - who came to United in 2003 after being one of Brazils best players in the 2002 world cup. And after a miserable time at United, his career was practically over - he played some poor matches for Besiktas before going back to Brazil With Flamengo

 

[SCP]

Shalimov was one of the biggest examples of the poor professionalism that developed in a lot of the late 80s and early '90s generation of ex-ussr players when they moved West. A lot of them did well initially then after a couple of seasons decided they preferred the lifestyle and partying over the amount of dedication needed to stay at a high level, Kulkov, Korneev, Mikhailichenko, Lediakhov, Yuran etc..

Yup. We already discussed these 2. Must be said Yuran and Kulkov had a great first season under Eriksson at Benfica, the problem was the nightlife.

At Porto under Robson on the first season they were good too, but they got fed up with their behaviour and sold them.

Mostovoi was the most talented from the 3 but had the bad luck to share the same positions as João Vieira Pinto or Rui Costa. A couple of years later he showed his talent to them when Celta Vigo destroyed them 7:0. Curiously enough Mostovoi from the 3 was the one who played at a high level until his late 30's. Karpin too was great in Spain.

Probably one of my least liked players ever, though i have to admit he was an excellent footballer when he could be bothered, very elegant, great vision, technically gifted, equally good with both feet and was developing into a good goalscorer too. 18 league goals alone in those first two Serie A seasons was impressive for a genuine midfielder. It was only beasts like Matthaus that were exceeding that in Italy at the time from midfield.

That was exactly what stood out to me recently because I was watching a game between CIS vs Germany (or last Soviet team), and clearly he looked on the same level on the pitch as players like Hassler or Effenberg at the time. Silky, creative and could do more than one role. Dobrovolsky also talented.

Mikhailichenko or Kuznetsov at the time already on Rangers meanwhile looked a shadow from the former pupils under Lobanovsky at Dynamo. I guess the problem was leaving that strict regimes under Loba or Romantsev, we just need to remember Belanov when he went West.

I was trying to catch up old games from Foggia under Zeman but on Footballia or Youtube we only catch their demolition on serie A vs Van Basten AC Milan. 8:2. Typical Zeman scoreline.

There are a lot of games of him from Spartak or a few at Inter. Really good players who came from Spartak after the Dynamo Kiev era. Good to know I wasn't wrong on this one.