5 ball boys who went on to become famous footballers

#3 Mateo Kovacic

A young Mateo Kovacic was ignored by Gerrard when he was a ball boy

Croatia international Mateo Kovacic is still very young but he has done very well for himself, considering how his career started. There’s an iconic photo of the midfielder, where he tried to get the attention of Steven Gerrard during a UEFA Champions League game in the mid-2000s.

Kovacic was a ball boy for that game, and Gerrard unfortunately snubbed him. Over a decade later, the 24-year-old can boast of playing in a World Cup final and also winning the UEFA Champions League. That is how Kovacic’s career has transcended.

The Croat is currently on loan at Chelsea from Real Madrid, and it is fair to say his career has just started. For a player yet to hit his peak, Kovacic has already played for three of Europe’s elite clubs – Inter Milan, Real Madrid and Chelsea.

Considering that he started as a ball boy, the on-loan Chelsea star has done tremendously well to put himself in the limelight when it comes to football.