10 English talents who failed to live up to the hype

A promising start to the career for a football player often results in hype and expectations from the media and fans. This is all the more prevalent in England where talented youngsters are put under instant scrutiny and are touted to be the next big thing.With the hype comes intense pressure, and there are some who thrive under this while there are others who fade away. Factors like injuries and bad luck can result in a players career taking a nosedive, or it could be simply be that his abilities were overestimated and the hype was false.We look at 10 English talents in the last decade who failed to live up to the hype generated around them.

#10 Stewart Downing

Hailed by many as the answer to England’s dilemma for the left wing position, Downing will feel that he hasn’t done justice to his abilities in his career which can be best described as a mixed bag.

He was relatively successful at Middlesbrough and Aston Villa which led to him getting a big money transfer to Liverpool. But his stay at Liverpool was anything but memorable as he failed to justify the £20 million that the club paid for him. The lack of assists and goals by him was ridiculed universally and the player soon found himself sold to West Ham.

He has appeared in 34 matches for the England national team, but failed to make any significant impact. And with the focus now on grooming youngsters for the future, it is likely that the southpaw won’t feature in the international setup again.

#9 Andy Carroll

The reason why Carroll features in the list is mainly due to the fact that he cost a then-record £35 million when he moved from Newcastle United to Liverpool in January 2011.

While the player was enjoying a good season at Tyneside and looked destined to have a bright career ahead, he will probably be the first to admit that he didn’t merit the record fee which created the unnecessary hype and put immense pressure on him to deliver at Liverpool. While he showed glimpses of his talent during his short stay at the club, he was unable to meet the expectations due to injuries and indifferent form.

New manager Brendan Rodgers deemed Carroll surplus to the club’s requirements and Liverpool sold Carroll to West Ham for a significant loss, where Carroll has struggled to make much of an impact largely due to injuries. But the 25-year-old Carroll has time on his side to prove his detractors wrong at club as well as international football.

#8 Kieron Dyer

Dyer caught everyone’s attention early in his career and the Ipswich academy product was often considered to be one of the most talented youngsters in England. A big money move to Newcastle United followed where he established himself in the first team, and he was also a regular feature in the England national team where he was often used as an impact sub.

But injuries and lack of professionalism meant that the player was underwhelming throughout his career and failed to achieve the success he seemed destined for. In fact, the statistics are quite damning, as in 17 years of professional football, he has played only just over 300 games, with only 23 top flight goals (which included a barren spell from 2007 to 2013).

Having never won a trophy or individual honour, Dyer’s career may well be remembered by the on-pitch brawl with teammate Lee Bowyer in 2005.

#7 Joe Cole

Joe Cole could well blame Steven Gerrard for building up hype around him by comparing him to Lionel Messi. But he will know that despite winning many trophies and honours during his stint at Chelsea, he couldn’t reach the heights which he should have with his prodigious talent, especially disappointing the England national team fans who expected better returns from his playmaking skills.

Cole got national media attention as a schoolboy, and was hailed as the next big hope for the national team. While he will point to his collection of medals, it is undeniable that a combination of injuries and bad luck has meant that talented player hasn’t been able to meet the expectations of the media and fans who had hoped for much more from him.

#6 Micah Richards

Richards made his debut for the England national team at the age of 18 in 2006, thus becoming the youngest defender to play for the team. He had played only 28 professional club games prior to the England debut, but manager Steve McClaren was convinced by the youngster’s potential and it was widely believed that Richards would be a regular in the England setup for many years.

But the dream has gone sour as Richards has managed only 13 appearances for the national side and doesn’t feature in the team’s plans. After initially being a key player for Manchester City, Richards has now been displaced by Pablo Zabaleta in the starting XI. And even though they won the league title in the 2013-14 season, Richards wasn’t eligible for a winner’s medal having not made sufficient appearances over the season.

#5 Jermaine Pennant

Pennant joined Arsenal from Notts County for a then-record fee for a trainee of £2 million at the age of 15 and he seemed destined for a bright career.

But a lack of discipline coupled with homesickness meant that a player who should have been a star for England and at club level turned out to be a journeyman instead who struggled to stay at a stretch at any club. Earmarked as a future England international in his formative years, Pennant never managed to represent the national side.

In a bid to play international football, he announced willingness to play for Ireland, but didn’t get a call from them either. After a career in club football which has seen him play for 10 different clubs, Pennant finds himself unattached to any team after being released by Stoke City in January this year.

#4 Jonathan Woodgate

After impressing for Leeds United and Newcastle United, Woodgate earned a lucrative move to Real Madrid, and sky seemed the limit for the player who was being touted by many as England’s next top defender.

However, injuries meant he had wretched start to his career at Madrid, and he made his debut over a year after signing for the club. It turned out to be a game to forget for Woodgate as he scored an own-goal and was later sent off.

He was later voted as the worst signing in the 21st century by Marca readers in a poll. He moved back to England to seek a change in fortunes, but injuries have limited his participation ever since, and he hasn’t featured for England national team after 2008.

#3 David Bentley

Once dubbed as the successor to David Beckham, Bentley had all the ingredients to be one of the greats of the modern game.

However, he couldn’t convert that into performances after initially impressing at Blackburn Rovers. A big money move to Tottenham Hotspur followed where Bentley failed to perform and lost his place to Aaron Lennon. He tried to revive his career with many loan moves, but failed to impress anywhere.

It is a real shame that the player had to retire from the sport at the age of 29 at a stage where most players reach their peak, and quoted that “he had fallen out of love with the sport”, calling modern football “robotic” due to the influence of money and social media as well as "predictable and a bit too calculated”.

#2 Francis Jeffers

Francis Jeffers will be one of the signings which Arsene Wenger won’t be proud of after shelling out £8 million to sign him from Everton in 2001.

Coming with a strong reputation, the player failed to live up to the “fox-in-the-box” tag that his manager had given him and his time at the club was marred by injuries. In addition to that, the form of fellow strikers – Thierry Henry and Sylvain Wiltord kept him out of the side, as Jeffers only managed 22 appearances for Arsenal over 3 seasons with only 4 goals.

Since then he has since changed teams many times, but never managed to impress anywhere. Jeffers still holds the record of being the leading goal-scorer for England U-21 (which he shares with Alan Shearer), but the dip in form and fortunes meant that he could manage only 1 appearance for the senior team.

#1 Michael Johnson

The career of Michael Johnson makes one wonder about what could have been, and instead what it turned out to be. It could be a case-study for talented teenagers to not let success and hype get to their head and convert the promise into a fruitful and successful career.

Tipped for stardom at the world stage with the England national team, Johnson was described by Manchester City teammate Dietmar Hamann as an “outstanding midfielder” who reminded him of Michael Ballack. After a breakthrough season in 2006-07, regular injuries severely restricted his participation. This was compounded by behavioural issues and he was treated for mental-health problems.

Manchester City made strenuous efforts to help their player overcome the problems, but they couldn’t help revive his career. In January 2013, a photograph of an overweight and unfit Johnson surfaced, which prompted the club to reveal that the player had been released about a month earlier.

It was a sad end to the career of a player who had the right ability but the wrong attitude.