5 famous one-season wonders in Premier League history 

Michu took the Premier League by storm at Manchester City
Michu took the Premier League by storm at Manchester City

Since its inception in 1992, the Premier League has developed into one of the best and toughest football leagues in the world. England's top flight in football has played host to some of the world's best footballers over the years, who have gone on to win numerous individual and team accolades during their time in England.

Players often take time to adapt to the speed and physical nature of the English game. A footballer's ability to cope with the demands of Premier League football and perform at the top level on a consistent basis is often used as the standard to measure one's quality and greatness.

Some players like Alan Shearer, Steven Gerrard, Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard, and Ryan Giggs maintained high standards of performance for over 10 years. However, these guys are less in number.

Most footballers often settle in quickly to the Premier League and enjoy a few prolific seasons for their clubs before fading away as they fail to replicate their performances over a longer period of time. These players are often referred to as 'one-season wonders'.

On that note, we will take a look at the top 5 famous one-season wonders in Premier League history.

#5 Michu scored 15 Premier League goals in his debut season

Swansea City v FC St Gallen - UEFA Europa League
Swansea City v FC St Gallen - UEFA Europa League

Michu joined Premier League strugglers Swansea City from Rayo Vallecano in a bargain deal worth £2 million in the summer of 2012. He enjoyed an impressive 2011-12 season in front of goal for Rayo Vallecano, during which he scored 17 goals in 39 appearances. It earned him a move to the Premier League.

Swansea's possession-based attacking style of football suited the striker, and he went on to score 18 goals in 35 league appearances for the Welsh club in his debut season in the Premier League.

After a brilliant first season in England, Michu struggled to replicate his goal-scoring form in the following campaign, scoring just two goals in 17 appearances. He was loaned out to Napoli the following season and subsequently joined Austrian amateurs UP Langreo.

#4 Papiss Cisse helped Newcastle United finish 5th

Newcastle United v Liverpool - Premier League
Newcastle United v Liverpool - Premier League

Papiss Cisse's debut season with Newcastle United is one that may never be forgotten by the club's fans. The Senegalese striker joined the club in January of 2012 for £9.3 million after three prolific seasons with German club Freiburg, during which he scored 37 goals in 65 appearances.

Cisse scored an astonishing 13 goals in just 14 appearances in the second half of the 2011-12 campaign for Newcastle, leading the club to a fifth place finish in the Premier League. Many believed that Newcastle had finally found a No.9 that would be able to replace Andy Carroll who left the club to join Liverpool in 2011.

Papiss Cisse went on to score just 24 goals in 104 appearances for Newcastle in his following four seasons with the club. He was eventually sold to Chinese Super League team Shandong Luneng.


#3 Roque Santa Cruz was a star for Blackburn Rovers

Blackburn Rovers v West Bromwich Albion - Premier League
Blackburn Rovers v West Bromwich Albion - Premier League

Former Premier League club Blackburn Rovers signed Roque Santa Cruz from Bayern Munich in 2007 for £3.5 million. The Paraguyuan spent eight years at Bayern Munich prior to his move to England, during which he struggled for regular playing time and was often used as an impact substitute.

Santa Cruz scored 19 goals in just 37 appearances in his first season for Blackburn and was heralded as one of the signings of the season. He, however, followed that up with just four goals in 20 appearances in an injury-hit 2008-09 campaign.

Roque Santa Cruz then joined Manchester City in the summer of 2009, but was unable to refind his goal-scoring touch. He rejoined Blackburn Rovers on loan for the 2010-11 campaign but was a shadow of the player who had joined the club from Bayern Munich.

#2 Asamoah Gyan joined the Premier League after the 2010 World Cup

Stoke City v Sunderland - Premier League
Stoke City v Sunderland - Premier League

Asamoah Gyan enjoyed a terrific 2010 FIFA World Cup with the Ghana National team. The striker led his side to the quarter-finals of the competition, scoring three goals in the tournament. His exceptional performances for his national team earned him a move to Sunderland that summer.

Asamoah Gyan joined Sunderland with heavy expectations after his fantastic performances at the World Cup. He went on to score a respectable ten goals in 31 appearances for Sunderland that season, but made just 3 appearances for the club the following season before moving to UAE Pro League club Al Ain.

#1 Robinho was the first star signing for Manchester City

Scunthorpe United v Manchester City - FA Cup
Scunthorpe United v Manchester City - FA Cup

Robinho was one of the biggest names in world football when he joined Manchester City from Real Madrid in 2008. The Brazilian was picked by Pele as his heir apparent at the age of 15.

Robinho joined Manchester City after winning back-to-back La Liga titles with Real Madrid. The Brazilian joined Manchester City for £32.5 million on the final day of the 2008-09 Premier League transfer window. He was the first major signing of the Abu Dhabi United Group and was meant to be the player around whom they would build a squad to win the Premier League.

Robinho scored 14 goals in 31 appearances in his first season for Manchester City. He, however, failed to score a single goal for the club the following campaign and went on to make just 10 appearances for the club in the 2009-10 season.

Quick Links

Edited by Diptanil