Thread of players you thought would be amazing but never lived up to their potential

[SULLY COULDNT SHOOT]

Andy Ritchie... for us a great player but when at Man U you thought he was going to play for England forever!

NeonLeon (he WAS alright)

The tragedy that was Paul Lake....... how much England needed a player like him but career cruelly ruined. Possibly the best prospect I ever saw.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Nii Lamptey.

That Dutch kid (with dreads and appeared on Newsround) - mentioned on here a while ago, but completely forgotten his name.

 

[Gwylan]

What about Lee Martin - that guy who scored in the Cup Final for Man Utd?

Yes, that's a good one. Or the winger who played against us in 1983, Alan Davies. Lost his place next season and committed suicide at 30 - one of the saddest stories of all.

 

[gjh1971]

Anyone remember Sonny Pike? Ajax wonderkid who appeared regularly on UK chat shows in the 90's?

Whatever happened to Sonny Pike? | Football | guardian.co.uk

 

[gjh1971]

Yes, that's a good one. Or the winger who played against us in 1983, Alan Davies. Lost his place next season and committed suicide at 30 - one of the saddest stories of all.

Thought he became Jonathan Creek?

 

[sten_super]

All of the best ones were CM/FM inspired for me...

Nii Lamptey
Ibrahima Bakayoko
To Madeira
Giovanni Dos Santos
Anthony Vanden Borre
Freddy Guarin
Sebastien Deisler
Emile Mpenza

 

[seagullsdaz]

Joaquin.

Spanish winger who has never lived up to the huge potential he apparently had

 

[Durlston]

Stan Collymore. So much talent but didn't get enough help from the FA for his depression. Good pundit on TV though.

Stuart Slater. Awesome at West Ham. Liam Brady signed him for Celtic but never fulfilled his early potential.

Darren Caskey. Started at Tottenham and was highly rated but went to Reading and dropped down the leagues.

I can't see Freddie Sears living up to all the hype after he scored for West Ham when he was about 17. Still time though.

 

[BensGrandad]

One of our best who sadly died at a young age before he could realise his potential was Barry Rees.

 

[Mendoza]

Kieron Dyer

David Bentley

Ishmael Demontagnac

Alexis Nicholas

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Seems a long time ago now but Dean Bowditch was supposed to be the next thing when he scored a hat trick for Ipswich on his debut as a sixteen year old. Now a fairly ordinary third division striker with Yeovil.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Richard Wright, former England-keeper-in-waiting.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Going back a bit now: Justin Fashanu.

 

[seagulls4ever]

Federico Turienzo

 

[Mendoza]

Stuart Fleetwood

 

[tonymgc]

Seems a long time ago now but Dean Bowditch was supposed to be the next thing when he scored a hat trick for Ipswich on his debut as a sixteen year old. Now a fairly ordinary third division striker with Yeovil.

I remember him being the next big thing & big clubs swarming around him. A bit like Conor Wickham now.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Early in the 1990s Milan signed a bloke for a world record fee from another Italian club, can't remember his name (which says everything). He proved largely rubbish, then crashed his car spectacularly, suffered fairly severe injuries, and disappeared off the radar forever.

Was thinking of Cassano but it's not him, who the hell am I thinking of??

 

[peterward]

For me in recent times the biggest disappointment who never fully got to live up to their full potential (and through no fault of his own)


Would now be Englands regular number 9, a truly class Old Fashioned English Centre Forward (the natural replacement for Shearers mantle).

Just on the verge of greatness when Shaun Wright Phillips accidently ended his career in a training ground tackle.

 

[User removed 4]

Early in the 1990s Milan signed a bloke for a world record fee from another Italian club, can't remember his name (which says everything). He proved largely rubbish, then crashed his car spectacularly, suffered fairly severe injuries, and disappeared off the radar forever.

Was thinking of Cassano but it's not him, who the hell am I thinking of??

dino baggio ?

 

[User removed 4]

Robbie Fowler ?? I dont think he fulfilled his true potential.