The Next Big Thing That Wasn't: 5 Footballers Who Never Reached The Peak

If you follow football closely, the hype around the "next big things" mustn't be a surprise for you. Every year, we are handed a list of top ballers who made the best of the opportunities provided to them in the youth system and are ready to jump to the next level, i.e., the senior team. 

These raw talents put out captivating performances in their academy system or the youth leagues, which will tempt you to believe they are the stars of tomorrow. But not everyone lives up to their hype, do they?

Injuries, poor attitude, stardom, and wrong influence, among others, are primary reasons why a prodigy, once destined to reach greatness, never achieves his full potential. In today's article, we will look at the top 5 players since the turn of the century who started on a great note but failed to live up to the hype.

5: Alexandre Pato: 

The "wonderkid" from Brazil, who became a starter for Italian giants AC Milan at the raw age of 21, never reached his full potential. It won't be wrong to say that his fall was as quick as his rise was.

Pato signed as a teenager for AC Milan in 2008 for a fee of around €24 million (a lot back in the day) from the Brazilian side, Internacional. He didn't disappoint though as he scored on his debut against bitter rivals Napoli. He concluded the first season with 9 goals in 20 appearances, not bad given how AC Milan underperformed that season.

However, he hit the ground running in the second season, scoring 18 goals in 42 matches and securing himself as more than a squad player for the team. In the 2011-12 season, following the retirement of striker Filippo Inzaghi, Pato was expected to take up the mantle. However, injuries forced him out of the team, ultimately resulting in a permanent move to Corinthians in 2013.

Nothing remained the same for Pato, as he couldn't perform at the levels expected from a top striker. Failed loan moves to Sao Paulo and Chelsea, followed by short stints in Spain and China never helped him rediscover his form, thus making it to the top 5 of the "Next big thing that wasn't" list!

4: Anderson:

The Golden Ball winner in the 2005 FIFA U-17 World Championship, Anderson has to be on the list of players who failed to live up to their hype. Compared to Brazilian great Ronaldinho, Anderson was destined to succeed following his move to Manchester United in 2008.

But little did the football fans know that even Sir Alex Ferguson couldn't help the kid from keeping himself out of our "Next big thing that wasn't" list!

Anderson started his career at Gremio before securing a move to Portuguese side Porto for a fee of €7 million. Finally, in 2008, the biggest calling of his lifetime came from Old Trafford, as Manchester United bought the midfield sensation for a whopping fee of €30 million. Anderson even took on Wayne Rooney's iconic number 8 jersey, as the latter shifted to 10 that season.

However, to his and the fans' dismay, Anderson could never live up to the price tag or the hype he set during his teenage years at Manchester United. Injuries, one after another, and a lack of professionalism contributed heavily to his downfall.

Following the retirement of SAF in 2013, Anderson fell out of favor with the new bosses and finally left United for Internacional in 2015. He finally announced his retirement at  Adana Demirspor in 2020, bringing an end to a career that had so much to offer, yet gave so little.

3: Freddy Adu:

Termed as "the next Pele," the story of Freddy Adu isn't much different from the likes of his companions on the list. He started his career with a bang, signing a professional contract with DC United at a mere age of 14, setting new records.

It wasn't the only record he would set as he went on to become the youngest player to appear and score in the MLS, achieving all these feats while playing for DC United.

The achievements followed a lot of mouth-watering brand deals and celebrity status. He was the hottest prospect in the US at the time (maybe too hot to handle that eventually led to his downfall). Brand deals with Nike, Pepsi, etc. made him an overnight millionaire at the rookie age of 14, which was too much for Adu to handle.

His inconsistent performances on the field were another aspect of his downfall. Since leaving DC United in 2007, Adu went on to play for more than 10 teams around the world, not being able to leave a significant impact on any of them. The rise of a 14-year-old kid to his sudden downfall might raise questions like "If Freddy Adu was the most overhyped footballer of all time?"

2: Bojan Krkic:

Imagine having Lionel Messi in your favorite club, sprinkling his magic on the field. Now imagine having 2 Messi simultaneously on the field, won't that be amazing? Well, halt your imagination as "the next Messi" from Catalonia couldn't make it to the big stage.

A La Masia graduate, Bojan quickly rose to prominence in Barcelona during his teenage years. He broke Lionel Messi's record of the youngest Barcelona player to feature in La Liga, making his appearance for the Catalan giants at the age of 17. This was only the start for Bojan, who was tipped to greatness right from his academy days.

Fast forward to 2011 with only 41 goals in 161 appearances for Barcelona and failing to make himself a starter, Bojan left Spain for Italy in hopes to revitalize his career. His spells at Roma and AC Milan didn't yield much, as he returned to Barcelona due to an obligatory buy option mentioned in his contract. There on, he went on to different countries, including the Netherlands, England, and Japan, to name a few, but failed to leave a mark.

The electrifying winger, who would dismantle the opposition's defense at ease, couldn't live up to his potential. He announced his retirement recently at the age of 32, thus bringing down a career left with lots of "what if?"

1: Mario Balotelli:

The Super Mario from Italy, who had the world at his feet once, has to be on the top of the "Next big thing that wasn't" list. This man had it all; excellent technique, flair, talent, and the ability to bring himself down!

Born to Ghanaian immigrants in 1990, Mario started his career at Lumezzane. He was soon signed by Inter Milan in 2007, making his Serie A debut against Cagliari. However, controversies soon followed him as fans chanted racial slurs at him. Moreover, his lack of discipline saw him being excluded from the first team of Inter under Jose Mourinho.

Following numerous altercations with the manager, poor performances, and lack of discipline, Mario ended his time at the club and joined the rising giants in England, Manchester City, in 2010. The same year, Mario won the Golden Boy award, surpassing Jack Wilshere (another player who deserves a mention in our list) and registering his name to the coveted list of previous winners, including Lionel Messi, Wayne Rooney, and Cesc Fabregas.

However, his poor disciplinary record soon brought back the horrors of the Inter days, as he was fined and left out of games more consistently than not. Mario made a total of 80 appearances for Man City, scoring 30 times during his time. Interestingly, Mario also fought against the Man City board for fining him for a poor disciplinary record. He eventually went back to Serie A, before joining Liverpool in 2014.

If there was one person who could stop the immensely talented Mario Balotelli from achieving greatness, it was the man himself. And he didn't disappoint. Partying his heart out, not listening to his coaches, lunatic behavior, and an uncontrollable attitude all led to him not fulfilling his potential.

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