Footballers whose career has nosedived

[From Despair To Where?]

I thought it was Alex Pearce who was linked to Liverpool, purely on the basis of a holiday selfie he took with a Liverpool scout (who just happened to be ex Reading CB Barry Hunter). Obviously with Rodgers also being Liverpool manager at the time, everyone put 2 and 2 together and got about 9 billion.

[Winston Biscuit]

Was going to suggest Jaydon Sancho but its too early, and that could well come back to haunt me in a season or two!

[South Coast Royal]

John Bostock of Notts County.
Biggish transfer at a young age (?Palace to Spurs) but never lived up to the hype.

[ReadingGlasses]

Adrian Mutu had a pretty big fall from grace. At one point he looked like he could become real star.

Benteke is another one. 49 goals in 101 games for Villa was really impressive, but he's never managed to get anywhere near that since.

[paultheroyal]

Ravel Morrison is on my radar with regards to the thread title.

[Winston Biscuit]

Adrian Mutu had a pretty big fall from grace. At one point he looked like he could become real star

played in a team with Nicky Shorey, Jermaine Pennant, David Trezeguet & Tuncay for Pune FC in 2015!

[Brum Royal]

I thought it was Alex Pearce who was linked to Liverpool, purely on the basis of a holiday selfie he took with a Liverpool scout (who just happened to be ex Reading CB Barry Hunter). Obviously with Rodgers also being Liverpool manager at the time, everyone put 2 and 2 together and got about 9 billion.

Hoof Barry Hunter is/was a Liverpool scout?

[From Despair To Where?]

He's been Liverpool's chief scout for the last decade. Manchester City's for 4 years before that.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/barry-hunter-96100b52

[Dirk Gently]

He's been Liverpool's chief scout for the last decade. Manchester City's for 4 years before that.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/barry-hunter-96100b52

Interesting. I used to work with his missus in Reading.

[From Despair To Where?]

I suspect their scouting concentrates more on youth and academy recruitment than specifically the 1st team.

[Sutekh]

Dunno, I thought he had a big career ahead of him around the time he left us (touted for an England call up I believe) but from bench warming at QPR, to struggling to cement a place at Southampton, don’t quite think he’s had the career he (or we) would have envisaged

Saying that, even from the ‘06 team, very few went on to have good sustained careers in the Prem after leaving us!

Might have been very different if he'd opted to stay with Reading (he left in 2014 of QPR) as think he would have cemented himself as a proven no. 1 then attracted interest as a no.1 rather than the bloke you get in to cover others. His career has so far amounted to 1 England cap and 296 appearances with 4 permanent clubs and 8 loan clubs (though he hasn't been loaned anywhere since 2012). He will be 34 in December this year.

Wasn't there some talk of him going to join Rodgers at Liverpool at one point, not sure if that was ever serious though.

He didn't want to leave, he was sold to pay a tax bill, as about the only saleable asset we had. It was a toss-up between him and Federici for first-choice 'keeper, but no-one else wanted to buy Federici (or at least pay him what he and his girlfriend thought he was worth) so McCarthy was cashed in on to keep HMRC from the door.

Not sure about talk of joining Liverpool, but when we played at Anfield in 12/13 McCarthy was absolutely immense, and Rodgers was immensely complimentary.

Thought it was Alfie that was flogged to stave off the taxman.

[Dirk Gently]

Might have been very different if he'd opted to stay with Reading (he left in 2014 of QPR) as think he would have cemented himself as a proven no. 1 then attracted interest as a no.1 rather than the bloke you get in to cover others. His career has so far amounted to 1 England cap and 296 appearances with 4 permanent clubs and 8 loan clubs (though he hasn't been loaned anywhere since 2012). He will be 34 in December this year.

Wasn't there some talk of him going to join Rodgers at Liverpool at one point, not sure if that was ever serious though.

He didn't want to leave, he was sold to pay a tax bill, as about the only saleable asset we had. It was a toss-up between him and Federici for first-choice 'keeper, but no-one else wanted to buy Federici (or at least pay him what he and his girlfriend thought he was worth) so McCarthy was cashed in on to keep HMRC from the door.

Not sure about talk of joining Liverpool, but when we played at Anfield in 12/13 McCarthy was absolutely immense, and Rodgers was immensely complimentary.

Thought it was Alfie that was flogged to stave off the taxman.

Who said it was only one player sold?

[Hendo]

Adrian Mutu had a pretty big fall from grace. At one point he looked like he could become real star.

https://twitter.com/UpshotTowers/status/1648309396819136514

[Sutekh]

Adrian Mutu had a pretty big fall from grace. At one point he looked like he could become real star.

https://twitter.com/UpshotTowers/status/1648309396819136514

Sorry he just seems to sum up why Chavski. They’ve had him, Terry, keep many of the half decent younger players of Europe bottlenecked in their Academy while forever splashing zillions on supposed big names that aren’t generally much better than the little home grown talent that does occasionally make it through their Academy to the first XI.

[From Despair To Where?]

Adrian Mutu had a pretty big fall from grace. At one point he looked like he could become real star.

https://twitter.com/UpshotTowers/status/1648309396819136514

Sorry he just seems to sum up why Chavski. They’ve had him, Terry, keep many of the half decent younger players of Europe bottlenecked in their Academy while forever splashing zillions on supposed big names that aren’t generally much better than the little home grown talent that does occasionally make it through their Academy to the first XI.

If Chelsea had done any due diligence, they would have found out this was exactly the sort of shit he got up to at Verona.

He had a pretty decent career in Serie A after he left Chelsea, although it included another drug ban, so the only nosediving his career took involved a pile of Columbian marching powder.

[Winston Biscuit]

Liam Kelly who, aged 27, is being relegated out of the football league in 56.5 hours time

[Sutekh]

Liam Kelly who, aged 27, is being relegated out of the football league in 56.5 hours time

To be fair to him he did score a long range beauty this week - only trouble was it was for Tranmere.

[Whore Jackie]

Not quite on Dele's level, but WTF happened to Todd Cantwell? Looked decent for Norwich, talk of a move to LIverpool, England U21 caps, then loaned out unsuccessfully to Bournemouth, and now at Rangers. Played just 20 odd games in the last 2 years.

[NathStPaul]

He's probably getting about 15k a week and playing for one of Europe's biggest clubs. Not sure it is a nosedive tbh.

[genome]

Tbf this thread is difficult because you're not going to get a better example than Dele.