Keith Gillespie.
Touted wonderkids who made no impact in football
- Thread starter SambaBoy
- Start date
Daniel Braaten was superbly talented by lacked commitment.
Per Ciljan Skjelbred was Martin Ødegaard level of talent, but a very ugly injury ruined him for developing into top club material.
Per Ciljan Skjelbred was Martin Ødegaard level of talent, but a very ugly injury ruined him for developing into top club material.
Lazar Markovic, surprised no one's mentioned him yet.
ten international caps
contracted to ac milan till 2021 (though has been on loan)
Turns 24 next week and to be honest hes far from the criteria in the OP of never making it to professional football but equally hes not lived up to the considerable hype that said I think barca got their money back when they sold him to hamberg so no great loss for them
Ian Rush. Arrived at Wrexham from somewhere and couldn’t score in 17 games. Disappeared quite quickly.
Presumably Macheda has been mentioned? I was pretty young at the time of his debut goal. I remember arguing with my school mate that there was no guarantee he'd make it. My mate was convinced he would be the next big thing.
If anything it proves that arguments about potential are pointless. I won the argument fair and square but it would seem petty if I tracked this kid down, having not seen him for 10 years, just to claim my bragging rights.
If you're reading this Jack, I was right. He's a nobody now. Hope you're well.
If anything it proves that arguments about potential are pointless. I won the argument fair and square but it would seem petty if I tracked this kid down, having not seen him for 10 years, just to claim my bragging rights.
If you're reading this Jack, I was right. He's a nobody now. Hope you're well.
That was a very painful injury. But still Skjelbred is doing a very solid career nonetheless.
23 goals in 50 games for Panathanaikos in Greece. Unfulfilled potential yes, he's not a nobody though.
Yeah, solid career and absolutely something to be proud of. And there are no guarantees even without the injury, but he definitely lost a lot due to it even after recovering.
Almost every past United reserve player has been called a wonderkid on this thread. Macheda for example was never one. He was a good striker in the reserves who was thrown in the deep end in a title-winning campaign and had a memorable start to his senior career; but he had never shown that he was destined to be a starting Utd level striker before.
In my view, you have to completely dominate reserve/youth/age level football as a young teenager to be called a wonderkid.
The only United academy players who qualify to have been called a wonderkid in the past 20 years are Rossi, Pique, Pogba, Ravel Morrison, Jonny Evans and Greenwood imo.
Looking at that list, it is kind of evident why so many felt Morrison was such a waste.
In my view, you have to completely dominate reserve/youth/age level football as a young teenager to be called a wonderkid.
The only United academy players who qualify to have been called a wonderkid in the past 20 years are Rossi, Pique, Pogba, Ravel Morrison, Jonny Evans and Greenwood imo.
Looking at that list, it is kind of evident why so many felt Morrison was such a waste.
Hey now he had a very solid career for club and country
Yeah I Suppose I’m being harsh.
Consider me suitably humbled and corrected.
People mentioning Saviola, Deisler and Götze. 
From scrolling through this thread Yesil is one of my favorites. Good shout!
From scrolling through this thread Yesil is one of my favorites. Good shout!
Sotiris Ninis was supposed to be the next big thing from Greece 10 years ago.
Stefano Okaka was also ridiciliously hyped after his debut for Roma at 16.
In the early 2000s the River Plate and Santos teams had a few players. Costanzo, D''Alessandro and Cavenaghi / Robinho, Diego and Elano.
Rafael Sobis, Ganso, Thiago Neves, Nilmar,...
Stefano Okaka was also ridiciliously hyped after his debut for Roma at 16.
In the early 2000s the River Plate and Santos teams had a few players. Costanzo, D''Alessandro and Cavenaghi / Robinho, Diego and Elano.
Rafael Sobis, Ganso, Thiago Neves, Nilmar,...
Ganso
Fabian Bandy
Daniel Montenegro (aka the new Maradona circa 1998)
Daniel Montenegro (aka the new Maradona circa 1998)
Lulinha
Juan Chera - currently retired at 25 and an eSports player
Juan Chera - currently retired at 25 and an eSports player
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DAllesandro was ridiculously talented. Loved watching him.
Leandro Romagnoli at San Lorenzo was another I remember from that era. I looked him up and it looks like he ended up having a brief spell at Sporting Lisbon before returning to San Lorenzo and being a bit of a club legend, so good for him.
Wasnt Utd linked with Gauld?
The athletic has an interview with Michael Johnson today, first interview he's done and explains his decision to pack football in, great read, had all the ability in the world but just didn't have the mental ability at the time to be a top class pro, comes across as a decent bloke too.
Fabio Paim is now a pornstar
Anthony Le Tallec.
Once hailed as better than a young Cristiano Ronaldo.
Last seen playing for Annecy FC.
Once hailed as better than a young Cristiano Ronaldo.
Last seen playing for Annecy FC.
Pato?
Giovanni dos Santos
Carlos Vela
Giovanni dos Santos
Carlos Vela
Kerlon, the famous seal dribbler.
Halilovic was supposed to be a top gem in la Masia. Never did anything worth mentioning.
I would disagree, even though there was initially a bit of hype around him.
He had long spells at Newcastle, Blackburn, and Sheffield United and made well over 400 league appearances at a high level.
His career was never particularly stellar give or take a few highlights, but the vast majority of academy graduates would take it.
There was a lot of rave reviews about Giuliano Maiorana, SAF in particular, but he got a bad injury and that was unfortunately it.
Chris Eagles
Lee Martin
Lee Martin
Ben thornley often talked about as unbelievably talented. Was never getting a sniff with Giggs and Sharpe knocking about.
Off into the wilderness at Huddersfield I think it was to start
Off into the wilderness at Huddersfield I think it was to start
Buggered by injuries to be fair.
He now plays for my local club (Fortuna Sittard). Oozes style and quality in his passing/vision but is physically just not a modern football player. Love his outside of the foot passing though!
There’s a big difference in not living up to the hype of being world class and disappearing/not making an impact in football.
Carlos Vela had a solid La Liga career and had one of the best seasons from a striker in MLS history for example, that’s an ‘impact’. Whereas someone like Freddie Adu went into obscurity and would have loved a career like Vela.
Carlos Vela had a solid La Liga career and had one of the best seasons from a striker in MLS history for example, that’s an ‘impact’. Whereas someone like Freddie Adu went into obscurity and would have loved a career like Vela.
Every academy player who got a game under Fergie is a wonderkid according to this thread
Arda Guler may fit into this category.
The Moroccan winger that played for AC Milan at 16. Can’t remember his name.
The Moroccan winger that played for AC Milan at 16. Can’t remember his name.
He was very talented and would have been worldclass if not for injuries
Played 500 games for Brazil, Milan, Chelsea, Villarreal and Corinthians. Not a bad career all the same.
Zoran Tosic
Adam Ljalic
Rodrigo Possebon
Davide Petrucci
Adam Ljalic
Rodrigo Possebon
Davide Petrucci
He got a really bad injury and never recovered from it as far as I can remember. I think it was a broken leg
I would say Vela had an ok career to be fair
Probably have a collab with Bonnie Blue soon.
Connor Bradley doing his thing tonight for Liverpool reminded me of Ben Woodburn coming through their ranks about 6-7 years ago. Think he scored for Wales aged 16 and Liverpool were loaning him out to some decent clubs in those times but didn't do much at Preston last season and now a squad player at Salford City.