Usually talking, if a participant is able to shining on the worldwide stage, they stand a superb probability of constructing an affect in any of Europe’s high leagues.
The next gamers proved that logic to be flawed, nonetheless, by spectacularly failing to dwell as much as the requirements they set for his or her nationwide groups within the Premier League.
Whether or not they had been too younger, felt an excessive amount of stress or just weren’t nearly as good as that one match advised, these gamers proved to be huge disappointments in England.
David Healy
Healy’s scoring feats with Northern Eire had been astonishing, significantly contemplating they got here at a time earlier than the nation had been strolling round at main tournaments.
The striker is his nation’s all-time high scorer with 35 objectives in 93 caps, solely 4 of which had been scored in friendlies. Healy scored the one aim in a 1-0 World Cup qualifier win over England in 2005, and netted a hat-trick in a well-known 3-2 win over Spain throughout a Euro 2008 qualifying marketing campaign the place he scored 13 occasions in 11 video games – a document for a single marketing campaign that he now shares with Robert Lewandowski.
Nevertheless, he couldn’t replicate that type within the Premier League, the place he scored simply 5 objectives in 44 appearances for Sunderland, Fulham and Manchester United. Healy had extra success within the tier under, the place he notched 69 objectives throughout spells with Preston, Norwich, Leeds, Ipswich and Doncaster.
Bryan Ruiz
In Costa Rica, Ruiz is a 120-cap legend who has scored 25 objectives at worldwide degree. He’s the captain of his nationwide crew and has carried out at a excessive degree for golf equipment in his residence nation, Belgium, the Netherlands and Portugal.
Then there was his time in England. Ruiz joined Fulham in August 2011 and made 68 top-flight appearances, however scored simply eight objectives and was finally despatched on mortgage to PSV in January 2014 earlier than being bought to Sporting the next summer season.
He’s now in Brazil with Santos and stays a key man within the Costa Rica crew, offering expertise and management as their 33-year-old skipper.
Robinho
Robinho by no means managed to justify the £32.5m Metropolis handed over to Actual Madrid for his providers in 2008, scoring simply 14 objectives in 41 Premier League video games.
Nor did he handle to duplicate the performances he put in for Brazil, who he earned 100 caps for, netted 28 occasions and appeared at two World Cups. “I began effectively, however sadly there weren’t as many nice names as there are lately,” he instructed FourFourTwo. “Manchester Metropolis are the one facet I’ve left with out successful a title.”
Now 35, Robinho continues to be enjoying with Istanbul Basaksehir, who’re at present sitting fairly on the high of the Turkish Tremendous Lig.
Diego Forlan
When Forlan hung up his boots with Uruguay in 2015, he was his nation’s second most-capped participant ever with 112 appearances and at quantity three on their all-time high scorer checklist with 36 objectives.
This was a person who gained the Golden Ball after joint-top scoring on the 2010 World Cup, but he did not make something like the identical affect after becoming a member of Manchester United from Independiente in 2002 aged 22.
The ahead mustered simply 10 objectives in 63 Premier League appearances and didn’t notch his first till his twenty fourth recreation. It’s considerably baffling, particularly contemplating he went on to search out the web with ease in (deep breath): Argentina, Spain, Italy, Brazil, Japan, Uruguay, India and, lastly, Hong Kong. An excessive amount of too quickly?
Radamel Falcao
Falcao has been a remarkably dependable goalscorer all through his profession at membership and worldwide degree, scoring commonly in Argentina, Portugal, Spain and France in addition to changing into Colombia’s all-time high scorer with 33 strikes in 83 caps.
Nevertheless, he was nothing like the identical participant throughout his two mortgage spells in England with Manchester United and Chelsea. After arriving at Outdated Trafford from Monaco on a large wage packet in 2014, he netted simply 4 occasions in 26 league video games.
Chelsea had a crack at unlocking his potential, however the Colombian solely received worse as he discovered the web as soon as in 10 Premier League outings. Now again at Monaco aged 33, he’s as soon as once more discovering the web with ease.
Juan Sebastian Veron
Veron arrived at Manchester United from Lazio in 2001 for British document switch payment of £28.1m, and checked in at Outdated Trafford with a fame as one of many world’s high midfielders.
Nevertheless, in two seasons with United, the Argentine struggled to duplicate the shape he’d proven in Italy and for his nationwide crew, scoring seven objectives in 51 league video games total. Chelsea took an opportunity on him, however Veron was even worse at Stamford Bridge and performed simply seven occasions for the Blues earlier than being despatched on mortgage to Inter and Estudiantes.
Contemplating his success in Serie A and in 73 Argentina caps, his struggles in England had been – and proceed to be – a shock.
Sergei Rebrov
Rebrov shaped a formidable strike partnership with Andriy Shevchenko at Dynamo Kiev, scoring extra objectives than his celebrated compatriot for the membership. The pair additionally delivered for Ukraine, with Rebrov scoring 15 objectives in 75 caps because the help act to Sheva’s deadly ending.
Regardless of his spectacular CV, Rebrov fell on his face throughout his time with Spurs and West Ham within the Premier League. He arrived at White Hart Lane in 2000 for £11m, however scored simply 10 objectives in two seasons and was despatched out on mortgage earlier than finally becoming a member of the Hammers on a free switch, the place he scored simply as soon as in 27 video games.
Tomas Brolin
Brolin was one of many world’s most interesting gamers from 1990-1994, performing miracles for Sweden, however is now broadly thought to be one of many worst ever Premier League signings. He scored towards Brazil aged 18 at Italia ’90 to earn a transfer to Parma, and went on to attain 27 objectives in 47 caps for the Swedes, enjoying a starring function at USA ’94 as they reached the semi-finals.
Nevertheless, he turned chubby, fell out with George Graham and struggled with the calls for of English soccer following his £4.5m transfer to Leeds United in 1995, finally leading to his launch on a free. Crystal Palace took an opportunity on him, however he couldn’t discover the web in 13 extra top-flight video games.
Jon Dahl Tomasson
After three eye-catching seasons within the Eredivisie with Heerenveen, Newcastle captured 20-year-old expertise Tomasson in 1997 simply 4 months after he’d made his Denmark debut. The striker would finally ship on his promise, however not at St James’ Park, the place he scored thee objectives in 23 Premier League video games earlier than being bought again to the Netherlands with Feyenoord.
Tomasson proved that to be a short-sighted determination by starring in Italy with Milan, successful the Champions League in 2003, in addition to impressing for Stuttgart and Villarreal. In 112 caps for Denmark he scored 52 objectives, making him his nation’s joint top-scorer.
Roque Junior
The centre-back was a World Cup winner with Brazil in 2002, enjoying each minute of their ultimate victory over Germany, and arrived in England on mortgage from Milan only a 12 months after that triumph and contemporary off a Champions League victory.
As you’d anticipate, Leeds followers had been fairly excited by their new man, however sadly they’d received forward of themselves. Junior was proven a crimson card on his debut towards Birmingham and the Elland Highway membership shipped 19 objectives in the course of the 5 Premier League video games he appeared in. Dreadful.
Jozy Altidore
Altidore’s first unremarkable spell in England got here on mortgage at Hull in 2009/10, when he scored as soon as in 28 video games. He returned to those shores with Sunderland in July 2013 solely to once more discover only one aim, this time in 42 appearances.
Maybe the largest shock, then, is how effectively the striker has completed for the USA. Altidore has plundered 41 worldwide objectives in 110 caps, taking him to No.3 within the nation’s all-time scoring charts. He discovered his degree in MLS the place, aged 29, he has scored 47 occasions in 90 league video games for Toronto FC.
Karel Poborsky
Poborsky put in some excellent performances to assist the Czech Republic end as runners-up at Euro 96, together with a scrumptious lob towards Portugal within the quarter-finals. It earned the younger star-in-the-making a dream transfer to Manchester United from Slavia Prague, however he was marginalised by the emergence of David Beckham and made simply 32 appearances in two seasons at Outdated Trafford earlier than leaving for Benfica.
At worldwide degree his ascendancy continued, as he racked up 118 caps and stands because the second most-capped Czech participant behind Petr Cech.
Kleberson
Kleberson had the world at his toes after enjoying a key function in Brazil’s 2002 World Cup triumph and arrived at Outdated Trafford the next 12 months to listen to Alex Ferguson recommend he may evolve right into a “true United nice”. It wasn’t to be, although, as he struggled to adapt to English soccer by his personal admission and made simply 20 appearances in two seasons in Salford.
Nevertheless, he continued to contribute on the worldwide stage, lacking only one recreation as Brazil lifted the 2004 Copa America, serving to the Seleção to 2009 Confederations Cup victory after which being named in his nation’s 2010 World Cup squad.
El Hadji-Diouf
Diouf burst onto the scene on the 2002 World Cup in enjoying each minute of Senegal’s shock run to the quarter-finals, incomes a £10m transfer to Liverpool. However after a promising begin, issues quickly fell aside for the striker: he spat at a Celtic fan throughout a UEFA Cup tie at Parkhead, stopped scoring and earned a fame for ill-discipline and a nasty angle. Jamie Carragher later stated Diouf was “all the time the final to get picked in coaching”.
Spells at Sunderland, Blackburn and Bolton had been higher however not way more prolific, as Diouf netted 28 objectives in 243 Premier League video games. That didn’t cease him changing into his nation’s second-top scorer with 24 objectives and twice successful African Footballer of the Yr.
Andriy Shevchenko
Shevchenko was a type of uncommon gamers who truly earned the ‘legend’ tag so readily thrown round in soccer, changing into Ukraine’s all-time high scorer with 48 objectives and successful the Champions League with Milan.
He swapped San Siro for Stamford Bridge in a £30.8m transfer in 2006, however the Ballon d’Or-winning striker contributed simply 9 objectives in 48 appearances for Chelsea within the English high flight.
He was finally loaned again to Milan earlier than returning to his first membership Dynamo Kiev, the place he resdiscovered his scoring contact, however the failure of certainly one of Europe’s biggest strikers to make an affect within the Premier League stays a thriller to this present day. He’s now supervisor of Ukraine.
Claudio Bravo
Pep Guardiola wasted little time in ditching Joe Hart upon taking cost of Manchester Metropolis in 2016. Bravo, introduced in from Barcelona after two title-winning campaigns on the Camp Nou, was chosen because the Englishman’s successor, however he did not dwell as much as expectations as Guardiola’s males stuttered to a third-place end.
A Copa America winner with Chile in each 2015 and 2016 – his nation’s solely two trophies at senior degree – Bravo appeared to lose all of his shot-stopping potential on the Etihad Stadium and was promptly relegated to No.2 when Metropolis signed Ederson a 12 months after his arrival.
Juan Cuadrado
Recruited within the January 2015 switch window to assist Chelsea recover from the road within the title race, Cuadrado was little greater than a bit-part participant at Stamford Bridge. The dazzling wing play he displayed at Fiorentina was largely absent in west London, the place Jose Mourinho tended to stay along with his most popular duo of Eden Hazard and Willian on the flanks.
Cuadrado was again in Serie A with Juventus a couple of months later, earlier than serving to Colombia to a third-place end on the 2016 Copa America. He’s been a key a part of certainly one of los Cafeteros’ finest ever generations, representing his nation with distinction at each the 2014 and 2018 World Cups.
Angel Di Maria
After the failed David Moyes experiment of 2013/14, Manchester United had been anticipated to bounce again the next marketing campaign. In Louis van Gaal they now had a supervisor with the requisite expertise and persona to steer such an enormous membership, and in Di Maria that they had a marquee signing who had gained a number of trophies at Actual Madrid.
The Argentinian had additionally been a key participant for his nation for a number of years, and was included on FIFA’s shortlist for the Golden Ball award on the 2014 World Cup. He was nowhere close to his finest at Outdated Trafford, although, and United lower their losses in promoting him to PSG 12 months later.
Salif Diao
Turkey and South Korea could have reached the final 4 on the 2002 World Cup, however quarter-finalists Senegal had been arguably the match’s largest shock bundle of their first ever look on the world showpiece.
Diao performed within the well-known 1-0 defeat of holders France and scored within the 1-1 draw with Denmark, certainly one of 4 worldwide objectives he managed in 39 caps. Sadly for Liverpool, the midfielder confirmed little or no of notice throughout his 37 Premier League appearances for the membership, which preceded much more forgettable spells at Birmingham and Portsmouth.
Alireza Jahanbakhsh
The Iranian definitely struggled on the Amex Stadium. Signed for a club-record payment in 2018 final summer season after a 22-goal season with AZ, the winger discovered the web simply twice in 50 Premier League outings, and was subsequently bought to Feyenoord in 2021.
It’s a special story at worldwide degree, the place Jahanbakhsh has over 50 caps. He’s was concerned in all three of of Iran’s current World Cup campaigns, enjoying eight group recreation at Brazil 2014, Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022.
Kim Kallstrom
In equity to Kallstrom, it’s hardly his fault that he made little affect at Arsenal in a curious half-season stint in 2013/14. This was, frankly, a weird signing from Arsene Wenger, who went forward with the deal regardless of the invention of a again harm in the course of the midfielder’s medical.
The veteran Swede performed simply 4 video games in all competitions, considerably fewer than the 131 he appeared in for his nation in a global profession which spanned 15 years. Solely three males – Anders Svensson, Thomas Ravelli and Andreas Isaksson – have gained extra caps for Sweden.
Stephan Lichtsteiner
Having gained 11 main trophies at Juventus, Lichtsteiner appeared like an astute addition for Arsenal final summer season – significantly as he was obtainable on a free. But it’s subsequently turn out to be clear why the Bianconeri had been keen to let him go; the 35-year-old’s age has caught up with him this season, during which he’s failed dismally to regulate to the tempo of the Premier League.
The correct-back continues to be turning out for Switzerland, for whom he’s gained 104 caps and represented at 5 main tournaments between 2008 and 2018.
Kostas Mitroglou
Mired in relegation bother on the midpoint of the marketing campaign, Fulham determined to spend a club-record £12m on Mitroglou in a bid to haul themselves out of hazard. It didn’t work: the striker failed to attain in his three appearances for the Cottagers, who fell via the trapdoor after successful solely three video games post-January 1.
Mitroglou went on to impress at Olympiacos and Benfica, simply as he has completed for a lot of his worldwide profession since debuting for Greece in 2009. He was significantly pivotal in his nation’s profitable World Cup qualification marketing campaign for Brazil 2014, scoring three objectives within the two-legged play-off overcome Romania.
Ahmed Musa
Leicester had been by no means going to have the ability to repeat their title-winning heroics of 2015/16 the next season, however a shoddy summer season of recruitment definitely didn’t assist their probabilities of difficult for Europe.
Musa was in all probability the worst of a nasty bunch; the ex-CSKA Moscow speedster offered 4 objectives and little else in 32 appearances in all competitions, earlier than being hurriedly shipped again to the Russian capital. The ahead has been an even bigger success for Nigeria, amassing a powerful 81 caps by the age of 26.
Renato Sanches
Granted, Sanches hadn’t completed sufficient for Portugal to be thought-about an ‘worldwide nice’ by the point of his mortgage change to Swansea in 2017, however he had performed a starring function in his nation’s shock triumph at Euro 2016, at which he was voted Younger Participant of the Event.
The midfielder’s confidence had since taken a serious hit after a dispiriting 12 months at Bayern Munich, nonetheless, and he appeared a shadow of his former self in south Wales. Hailed as a coup upon arrival, Sanches made solely 9 Premier League appearances as Swansea had been relegated.
Torben Piechnik
The Danish defender was delivered to Liverpool by Graeme Souness after serving to his nation exceed all expectations by lifting the Euro ’92 title.
Nevertheless, after an honest begin on Merseyside, Piechnik’s type deteriorated and he was packed again off to Denmark after two inauspicious years.
Sergio Romero
The Argentine proved to be a high-quality back-up to David de Gea at Manchester United, however made making simply seven appearances within the Premier League over six years on the membership.
However for his nation it’s a special story, as he made 96 appearances for Argentina, that includes at two World Cups and three Copa Americas – and agonisingly ending as a runner-up on three events.
Christian Poulsen
Poulsen’s time at Liverpool was a forgettable one, as he appeared too gradual for the ferocity of the Premier League throughout Roy Hodgson’s ill-fated period.
However he completed his profession as Denmark’s ninth most-capped participant on 96 video games, going to 2 World Cups and a European Championships – even when he would possibly find yourself being remembered extra for Francesco Totti spitting on him at Euro 2004.
Stern John
John spent most of his enjoying days within the decrease leagues of English soccer, however did hit the web 10 occasions within the Premier League throughout spells at Birmingham and Sunderland.
For Trinidad and Tobago, nonetheless, he was a sensation, hitting 71 objectives in 110 caps – a document that locations him at No.10 within the all-time checklist of worldwide goalscorers.
Gervinho
Gervinho was in no way a catastrophe at Arsenal, and had his moments throughout two seasons on the Emirates, however that pales compared to his contribution to the Ivory Coast.
The winger scored 22 objectives in 75 caps, together with two on the 2014 World Cup, earlier than scoring twice on the highway to lastly clinching the long-awaited Africa Cup of Nations title in 2015.
Steve Marlet
Marlet’s inclusion doesn’t come a lot from a glowing worldwide profession, as a disastrous Premier League spell. The striker, who scored a decent six objectives in 24 France caps, was so dangerous at Fulham that proprietor Mohamed Al Fayed took then-manager Jean Tigana to the excessive court docket for overseeing the seize of their membership document signing.
He claimed that Tigana was taking a lower after deliberately overpaying for the participant, however Al Fayed misplaced the case and Marlet was quickly despatched away on mortgage earlier than having his deal terminated.
Eric Djemba-Djemba
The midfielder’s struggles at Manchester United are the stuff of legend, and he wasn’t significantly better at Aston Villa.
However he had a commendable worldwide profession with Cameroon, incomes 34 caps, successful the Africa Cup of Nations and ending as a runner-up on the 2003 Confederations Cup.
Adrian Mutu
The Romanian’s time at Chelsea will probably be remembered for all of the unsuitable causes, as he scored seven objectives in 27 video games earlier than being sacked for cocaine use.
However his scoring document for Romania was very spectacular, with 35 objectives in 77 caps making him his nation’s joint-top scorer alongside the nice Gheorghe Hagi.
Stephane Guivarc’h
It was Guivarc’h’s worldwide type that earned him his transfer to Newcastle, as he was a part of the victorious France squad on the 1998 World Cup, the place he featured in all however one recreation for his nation with out scoring – very similar to Olivier Giroud 20 years later.
Sadly for the Magpies, his eye for aim didn’t enhance within the north-east, as he lasted simply 4 video games and was bought to Rangers simply months later.
Bosko Balaban
Balaban joined Villa for £5.8m after he impressed in his native Croatia, however he solely made two begins and failed to attain a single aim on the membership earlier than heading out on mortgage and finally having his contract cancelled.
His document at worldwide degree was extra akin to the shape he confirmed at Dinamo Zagreb and Membership Brugges, as he netted 10 objectives in 35 caps, heading to 2 World Cups however failing to get off the bench in both.
Georgios Samaras
The long-haired Greek striker was certainly one of Metropolis’s largest signings within the days earlier than they turned a monetary powerhouse, becoming a member of the membership from Heerenveen for £6m.
He couldn’t fairly lower it within the English high flight earlier than heading to Celtic, however for Greece he racked up 81 caps, scoring 9 objectives and that includes in two European Championships and two World Cups.
Robert Earnshaw
Earnshaw’s scoring document within the Premier League wasn’t precisely prolific, with the Welshman netting 13 occasions in 65 appearances for West Brom and Derby.
His document for Wales was higher, with 16 strikes in 59 caps – at a time when his nation was nonetheless removed from reaching the Gareth Bale-inspired achievements of the present-day lot.
Jean-Alain Boumsong
The £8.5 million payment that took Boumsong from Rangers to Newcastle proved to be a nasty funding, because the Frenchman put in a string of error-prone performances over 18 months at St. James’ Park.
However for France, the centre-back earned 27 caps, travelled to a few main tournaments in a row, and performed a key half in Les Bleus qualifying marketing campaign for the 2006 World Cup.
Mateja Kezman
Expectations had been excessive when free-scoring Kezman arrived at Stamford Bridge from PSV, however he failed to duplicate the shape he had proven within the Eredivisie in England and departed with simply 4 objectives to his identify a 12 months later.
He had extra success at worldwide degree, firstly with Yugoslavia and latterly with Serbia and Montenegro, racking up 17 objectives for the 2 and showing at Euro 2000 and the 2006 World Cup – though he was despatched off at each.
Richard Kingson
All of it went downhill for Kingson after saving a penalty on his Wigan debut towards West Brom, as Chris Brunt scored on the rebound, his crew misplaced 3-1 and he performed simply three extra video games for the membership – shedding all of them.
His efforts with Ghana had been much more memorable, as he took them to 2 World Cups, completed as a runner-up on the Africa Cup of Nations and even bagged a aim throughout a pleasant towards Tanzania.
