[Football] Wasted Talent.

[lawros left foot]

He reportedly rebuffed Chelsea a few times.

I think he was a very special, generational talent. You may well be right that he wouldn’t have made it elsewhere, but unfortunately.. we’ll never know.

England played a friendly with Brazil at Wembley pre- internet.
A journalist reported that the Brazilian squad had to a man bought a Le Tissier dvd at Heathrow on the way home.
It may be nonsense, but I would love it to be true.

 

[Albion 4ever]

Paul Gascoigne.

After the 1990 World Cup he had the potential to be the best player in the world.

Knee injury in 1991 and some “interesting” lifestyle choices meant he never reached the heights that he could have.


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[scooter1]

Strange choice: I'd have said Keegan was the exact opposite of a wasted talent: a player who didn't have the greatest natural talent in the world but made the absolute most of what he had

Absolutely this

 

[withdeanwombat]

If Duncan Edwards is a talent “wasted”, I’ll offer Barry Rees of B&HA.

 

[scooter1]

Robin Friday: "I'm half your age, but I've already had twice your life"
I'd heard of him, but never read anything about him until this thread. F**k me, what a story..

 

[Comrade Sam]

Le Tissier is the reason Gotsmanov never set English football a fire! We were told we couldn't get a work permit for him (after they sold bucket loads of season tickets by hinting he'd stay). Then he turns up as Southampton as Le Tissier's understudy.
My daughter's year 8 head of year is Lionel Morgan. He was the next big thing at Wimbledon and Spurs we're set to sign him for big bucks - then he had a career ending injury before he could sign at the age of 21!

 

[Gwylan]

Yes, that's exactly what I meant, which is why I posted it in reply to the earlier post about players with limited talent who made the most of it.

Sorry. The quote you posted doesn't mention that - it's just a list of players. Although closer inspection should have revealed that they weren't world beaters when it comes to talent

 

[Eeyore]

I was a youth prodigy

9th Brighton about a hundred years ago

I WON the league with the 17th Brighton. The 9th Brighton was a mere second division backwater in the 70s/80s.

I can't even remember which church you were affiliated too. Somewhere near the Dials perhaps ?

 

[Seasidesage]

I WON the league with the 17th Brighton. The 9th Brighton was a mere second division backwater in the 70s/80s.

I can't even remember which church you were affiliated too. Somewhere near the Dials perhaps ?

Correct! The one on the Old Shoreham Road. I forget the name to be honest....

 

[Arthur]

Would add Michael Johnson at Man City.

Cracking article about him here on the Athletic in the summer.

 

[Doonhamer7]

The first time I saw Olli Burke I thought bloody hell this lad is going to be fantastic.

2 years have gone by and whilst he still manages a few games in the top flight now and then , the only visible difference is that he loves the gym .

To me he's a player with incredible potential but hasn't been either managed properly or simply just isn't interested in becoming a better player .

I'd push the boat out to sign him and six months with Potter would tell if he could be a special player i think he could be .

Absolutely wasted at Sheffield Utd at the moment , certainly a player I'd love to see play for us .

I agree that time for Forest against us before his transfer to Germany he looked like a very special player - big, strong and fast

 

[Seagull58]

Paul Gascoigne.

After the 1990 World Cup he had the potential to be the best player in the world.

Knee injury in 1991 and some “interesting” lifestyle choices meant he never reached the heights that he could have.


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Very poor selection of friends/hangers on, such as Jimmy 5 Bellies. If only he hadn't ratted on his deal to join Manure. Maybe SAF would have got more out of him? I still believe he should have gone to the'98 World Cup though. Bad decision by Hoddle to leave him out.

 

[JonnyCLately]

OK I'll bite:

Gareth Barry
Craig Johnston
Owen Hargreaves
Jamie Carragher
Adama Traore
Craig Mackail-Smith
James Milner
Jordan Henderson

Quite a lot of Liverpool in there

As for big fish in a small pond, I'm not sure that Zaha is really a big fish, and allegedly, unlike Le Tiss, he wants to leave his club but can't

Not having Owen Hargreaves - injury robbed him of his peak years but he was an incredible player and easily our best player at 2002 World Cup, when he was playing on the left of midfield out of position. Whilst not flashy he was incredibly technical, an intellectual footballer who had it all.... except for functioning knee ligaments

 

[Seagull58]

Not having Owen Hargreaves - injury robbed him of his peak years but he was an incredible player and easily our best player at 2002 World Cup, when he was playing on the left of midfield out of position. Whilst not flashy he was incredibly technical, an intellectual footballer who had it all.... except for functioning knee ligaments

That list you quoted is actually a list of players who overachieved their talent through hard work, the opposite of those who wasted their talent. 2006 World Cup, wasn't it? He was the only England player who turned up.

 

[Barnet Seagull]

Billy Kenny and Robin Friday were the first names that came to mind.

 

[cuthbert]

From an Albion point of view Alan Duffy

 

[AZ Gull]

Reminds me of Lars Elstrup, a Danish player who was part of the team that won Euro 1992.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lars_Elstrup

"In 1993, Elstrup had doubts about his footballing future, as he felt he was living under the expectations of others.[4] He joined a spiritual sect, and took the spiritual name "Darando", meaning "The River that Flows". He moved away from the sect in December 1999 after being arrested for punching a school child.[5] In January 2000, Odense gave Elstrup a chance to re-enter professional football by giving him a trial, but he left the club soon after when the club refused to pay him during the trial.[6] He now lives in Vissenbjerg, and stays out of the public eye."

No one heard from him for about 15 years until...

https://www.thesun.ie/archives/spor...ner-lars-elstrup-streaks-during-danish-match/

 

[AZ Gull]

Who was the former Cardiff player we were linked with under Poyet, bit of a bad boy and it seemed we were going to give him a chance but nothing come of it. Edit Leon Jeanne.

Not so much a wasted Talent, but injury ruined the career of Dean Ashton who really could have gone on to big things for club and country.

He generated a 338-post thread on here at the time! - leon jeanne

 

[dejavuatbtn]

From an Albion point of view Alan Duffy

I’ll trump that with Bryan Wade whose 9 goals in 18 games was pretty impressive on paper. His one redeeming feature is identified on Wikipedia as
During the 1988-89 English football season Wade received a three match ban for violent conduct as a result of elbowing Sheffield United's Chris Wilder in the face.

Re Duffy, I was never too sure about him. Yes, he did have a reputation for his Friday nights out, but he never really looked the part and was naturally far too dumpy to be a winger.

 

[bn1&bn3 Albion]

Owen Hargreaves and to a lesser extent Michael Owen, both incredible talents with unfortunate injury records.