4 Premier League Wonderkids Who Failed to Live up to the Hype
The Premier League is widely considered to be the most competitive league in the world, with a number of top talents plying their trade in England. However, for every young talent that makes a mark on the world stage, there are some who fall by the wayside.
Here, we take a look at five wonderkids who failed to fulfill their potential.
1. Ravel Morrison
Regarded by Sir Alex Ferguson as the best young talent he had seen, Ravel Morrison was expected to be a superstar, but he failed to live up to his potential as seen by his various failed spells during his career.
Still only 28-years-old, the midfielder has failed to nail down a spot in any of the clubs he has played for, which has included spells in a number of different leagues.
2. Adnan Januzaj
Adnan Januzaj was the next big thing to come from Manchester United, with the attacking midfielder enjoying a break out season in 2013/14. However, that was as good as it got for the youngster, with the player currently at Real Sociedad for the last four years.
Again, the player is only 26-years-old and he still has time to get his career back on track, something which could still happen as he shows glimpses of his talent in Spain.
3. Federico Macheda
Another United talent who lost his way was Federico Macheda, with the striker regarded as one of the best prospects to come from Italy. After breaking out in the 2008/09 season, he did still manage to remain at Old Trafford for five years, but only scored a paltry five goals for the Red Devils.
After playing in the second tiers of England and Italy, he now plays for Panathinaikos in Greece, where he has rediscovered his scoring touch.
4. Francis Jeffers
Francis Jeffers broke through at Everton in the late-1990's, with many hailing the youngster due to his brilliant goalscoring exploits as seen by the important goals he netted for the club.
His exploits caught the attention of Arsene Wenger who signed him in 2001, and while Arsenal enjoyed success, the player failed to replicate the form he showed while at Everton.
Like the other players on this list, Jeffers moved to a number of different leagues for football, but struggled to establish himself as a striker of note, eventually retiring from the sport in 2013.