Best players with underwhelming careers/CVs

World Football
#61

Can’t really get on board with him having a good career. He’s spent the majority of his career playing for a side whose aim has been to avoid relegation and palaces means to achieve that has broadly been give the ball to zaha for 6 odd years.

Ironically if palace had slipped up and got relegated in one of those seasons and were forced to sell I think it’s highly likely he’d have earned his move to a team like arsenal, Spurs, Everton possibly Chelsea.

His talent absolutely warrants at least having a season in Europe during his prime years (can’t remember back to Moyes).

It’s his own fault for signing the contract but still can’t say he hasn’t underachieved because of it.

1 Like
#62

Gheorge Hagi is another. Won many leagues in Romania and Turkey, and the Europa League once with Galatasaray, but played for six years in Spain and Italy - including for both Barca and Real - and never won anything meaningful.

1 Like
#63

Santi Cazorla

My favourite Arsenal midfielder since the days of the Invincibles

Really deserved a league title in 2015/16. His injury ruined our run in.

8 Likes
#64

Good shout but he also did win 2 European champions with Spain which helps his CV, must have missed 2010 WC with injury.

1 Like
#65

Could perhaps argue Alexis Sanchez?

#66

Not sure gonna have a La Liga, likely Scudetto, 3 domestic cups and a couple of Copa Americas with Chile.

#67

Stuart Pearce and Gary Lineker

#68

Shay Given. Stayed at Newcastle far too long.

2 Likes
#69

Ahh now if you’re talking goalkeepers, I see your Shay Given and I raise you a Dave Beasant.

#70

Jimmy Greaves deserves a mention. 44 goals in 57 international appearances, which puts him close to Pele’s goal per game average. He missed out on the 1966 World Cup due to injury. He had a league season where he averaged a goal a game and other seasons close to a goal a game.

1 Like
#71

George Best…He won 2 titles, and 1 European Cup.
In my opinion the best of all time, and that’s a paltry haul for so much talent!

#72

Made a CL final and was in the Galatasary team that beat Arsenal in the UEFA cup final.
Probably gets a better team in Italy if not for the competition at the time and 3 foreigner rule.
Deserved more though. Top talent.

1 Like
#73

Ledley King

#74

Was gonna say Big Nev but he won a couple of league titles in the 80’s didn’t he.

2 Likes
#75

Yeah and a cup and cwc. He was top class though and never got the recognition he deserved.
Probably Wales not making a major finals.

#76

Giuseppe Signori.

I think he was Serie A top scorer three times in the early to mid 90s, never won a single major honour

4 Likes
#77

Robbie Fowler. Lucky he squeezed those cup wins in before he left Liverpool otherwise he would have very little honours to his name.

#78

Di Natale.

1 Like
#79

Fowler was at an absolutely ridiculous level before injuries and lifestyle choices caught up to him. 85 goals in his first 3 seasons just as he turned 21. Never reached his potential when you look how good he was at that age and how he didn’t really progress.

A hatrick in 4 minutes against Prime Arsenal defense and a hattrick at Old Trafford too. The way he could wrap his foot around the ball with little backlift and laser guided the ball into the corners was somewhat unique

6 Likes
#80

What about Samir Handanovic?

It’s hard to remember because Julio Cesar was a bit of a clown towards the end of his career but at one point he was a very good keeper and won the treble.

Handanovic replaced him and has been very solid for almost ten years I think. He’s won basically nothing. Some of those Inter teams were absolutely terrible.