[Archived] Players Who Never Fulfilled Their Potential

[roverandout]

Was looking on YouTube at some great goals and was thinking of a few players that could have been worldbeaters but didn't fulfill their potential, players like collymoore, le tissier, Fowler, dunn, Jansen, players further afield such as robinho etc, such a shame we had so many great attacking players in the 90s and we never used them properly!

[gumboots]

Bit unfair on Jansen there. Who knows what he might have done but for that accident?

[roverandout]

I know but I was thinking more of Ericsson choosing to take Martin keown over jansen, which was a farce

[Iceman]

Aaron Mokoena

[Tom]

Bit unfair on Jansen there. Who knows what he might have done but for that accident?

I think it's a fair comment, a rash decision cost him a career at the top.

David Bentley will forever be the prime example for me, absolute talent frittered away by a billy big balls attitude, Michael Johnson not far behind him.

[47er]

Lee Makel!

[K-Hod]

Michael Johnson (ex City) as Tom says is the main one that springs to mind. For those that used to watch Football Italia, they'll all remember Gianluigi Lentini!

Feels a bit harsh citing those two examples as their careers were blighted by injury, but it is what it is! Good thread though!

[DanielMB]

Ruben Rochina

[MarkBRFC]

Discussed on another thread but Paul Warhust springs to mind for me.

Stan Collymore is another good shout, reminded me of (fat) Ronaldo back in the mid 90's but never took it to the next level.

Not sure Robbie Fowler should be in this thread.

[Steve Kean's Hypnotoad]

such a shame we had so many great attacking players in the 90s and we never used them properly!

If by we you mean England then I'd say as good as Collymore, Le Tissier and Fowler were, they weren't as good as Shearer and Sheringham in my opinion so there was no point in trying to use them, by doing so we'd have just made the team worse. I'd have taken Shearer over anyone in the world up until his second ligament injury in 1997.

David Bentley will forever be the prime example for me, absolute talent frittered away by a billy big balls attitude, Michael Johnson not far behind him.

Bentley is the bloke that immediately enters my mind first whenever this topic is discussed. He was immense at Rovers, absolutely immense. Its difficult to understate how good he was but I think the best indication is him beating Santa Cruz to player of the season in 2007/08.

I don't think the Beckham comparisons helped at all, setting him a very difficult benchmark (Beckham was also under-rated as a footballer in my opinion, thought he was an exceptional player) and inflating his ego in the process. But that's hardly much of an excuse, when it came down to it he massively wasted his talent. I can only assume he didn't apply himself in the slightest at Spurs which is a shame, after 3 great years with us I wanted him to do well there.

[Reedy You're A Star]

Joe Cole. Now wasting his final years away at Coventry. Could've been an amazing player, such a waste.

[T J Hooker]

I, think le tissier and fowler had good careers

[Stevo]

One I always thought would make it at a higher level is Micah Richards. When the money came in at City opportunities were limited and it halted his progress. He could have done a lot worse than he has but I thought he was going to be a big player for England. Add S.Wright Phillips to that as well.

[K-Hod]

I felt he should have been converted into a CB by City when they needed a defender (Richards) as that was where he started out, instead he's gone to Villa and looked rubbish because they're an absolutely shameless shower this season.

Wright-Phillips was excellent when he broke through, he seemed content to pick up a wage in his latter years in this country which was a shame.

[BlueMonday]

If by we you mean England then I'd say as good as Collymore, Le Tissier and Fowler were, they weren't as good as Shearer and Sheringham in my opinion so there was no point in trying to use them, by doing so we'd have just made the team worse. I'd have taken Shearer over anyone in the world up until his second ligament injury in 1997.

Bentley is the bloke that immediately enters my mind first whenever this topic is discussed. He was immense at Rovers, absolutely immense. Its difficult to understate how good he was but I think the best indication is him beating Santa Cruz to player of the season in 2007/08.

I don't think the Beckham comparisons helped at all, setting him a very difficult benchmark (Beckham was also under-rated as a footballer in my opinion, thought he was an exceptional player) and inflating his ego in the process. But that's hardly much of an excuse, when it came down to it he massively wasted his talent. I can only assume he didn't apply himself in the slightest at Spurs which is a shame, after 3 great years with us I wanted him to do well there.

In football terms it was the worst thing he could have done. He was doing great here, developing, enhancing his reputation and would have gone on to be a Rovers legend. Unfortunately he came from Arsenal where they'd obviously stoked his ego as a young player and he considered he was taking a step down in order to get his career going. Going to Spurs was all about status and money, especially in the manner that he left. like a lot of players before him, they think they are leaving for better things, but their careers start a slow decline.

Sad because he was a very talented player.

[47er]

Hoilet?

[Blue Cabbage]

One from the early / mid 2000's was Sebastian Deisler, he was heralded as Germany's next big thing, technically very tidy and an eye for a pass, his career was blighted through various knee injuries which forced him to retire at 27.

[donnermeat]

One from the early / mid 2000's was Sebastian Deisler, he was heralded as Germany's next big thing, technically very tidy and an eye for a pass, his career was blighted through various knee injuries which forced him to retire at 27.

Think he had mental health issues too.

[BlueMonday]

Who was the Dutch U21 player we signed who was supposed to be the next big thing.

Never did a thing

[had.e.nuff]

Maceo Rigters i spoke to one of Barnsleys coaching staff when he was on loan there and he said he was the most gifted player he had ever worked with but his attitude was the worst he thought he had made it

[Steve Kean's Hypnotoad]

In football terms it was the worst thing he could have done. He was doing great here, developing, enhancing his reputation and would have gone on to be a Rovers legend. Unfortunately he came from Arsenal where they'd obviously stoked his ego as a young player and he considered he was taking a step down in order to get his career going. Going to Spurs was all about status and money, especially in the manner that he left. like a lot of players before him, they think they are leaving for better things, but their careers start a slow decline.

Sad because he was a very talented player.

I disagree with most fans it seems in that I don't understand how a player would not want to move up from Rovers if they were good enough. You don't even get to Rovers level as a footballer unless you've shown considerable determination in your life to keep progressing and keep moving up. Its unrealistic to expect anyone to just abandon that philosophy when they're at Rovers if they don't have to. Surely its far better to try and reach the top and fail than to not even try. If Duff had stayed at Rovers he wouldn't have 2 PL winners medals in his cabinet at home.

As long as a player has given us a decent stint and done right by the club contract wise to make sure we can get decent money, they always go with my blessing personally. Bentley gave us 3 years and we sold him for £15m, Duff 7 years and £17m, Shearer 4 years and £15m, then there's Warnock, Samba, Sutton, Rhodes, N'Zonzi etc. No problem at all with these guys. The blokes I do have a problem with are those who don't even give us a few good seasons, like Jones and Santa Cruz, and those who won't sign any contract to allow us to get some money for them, like Hoilett and Neill. I'm sure agents would disagree but I just feel as though its the decent thing to do to pay back the club that gave you the chance, especially in the PL.

Purely in terms of ambition though, why wouldn't they move on. The only case where I can't understand that is when you know for a fact that they're gonna be sat on the bench every week, like Solskjaer at Man U.

[Blue Cabbage]

Think he had mental health issues too.

Depression I think

[frosty]

Phil Jones? Honestly thought he'd be captain of both England and United by now, whereas he just seems to be injured all the time and as a result I don't think he's even improved since he was here (5 years ago this summer now since he left).

Still got time on his side I guess.

[T J Hooker]

Luca toni?

I was also thinking phil jones, as well as being injured all the time he seems to have been shunted all over the place at man u, hes easily one of the top 3/4 centre backs ive seen play for is in the last 25 years, hes still young though so i hope i gets back on track, his attitude always seems good but his confidance isnt what it was.

[DE.]

Got to throw Freddy Adu into the mix.