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Often known as the toughest league in the world, the Premier League has claimed its fair share of victims. While several players have been attracted to the English top-flight due to its fame, not all of them have made it to the top. Pressure to perform, as well as injuries owing to the high intensity of the Premier League, has seen several players fail to live up to the hype.
Not every player makes it in the Premier League
The Premier League is the most demanding football league in the world. Every player dreams of becoming a regular for their side, but very few take the opportunities that fall their way.
Ill-timed injuries, or unconvincing loan spells, leave several players still contracted to their club without any first-team action for a very long period of time. Hence, they are forgotten about, even by the most passionate of supporters.
Here are five such forgotten players who you probably did not know were still contracted to Premier League clubs in 2021-22:
#5 Winston Reid (West Ham)
Winston Reid joined West Ham United in August 2010 from Danish side FC Midtjylland. The 33-year-old worked his way into the first-team since and was a mainstay in the Hammers' defense in the past. By the 2012-13 Premier League season, Reid was even awarded the captain's armband on two occasions in the absence of club captain Mark Noble.
165 Premier League appearances flew by, and Reid was widely recognized as a solid defender. At one point, he even attracted interest from north London sides Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal. However, his 166th appearance, on the 3rd of March in 2018, would see his career change forever.
Less than half an hour into the game, Reid suffered an awful injury against Swansea City. He twisted his knee and was stretchered off with an oxygen mask as he was unconscious. The injury kept him out of action for the remainder of the 2017-18 Premier League season. The New Zealand international also missed the entire 2018-19 season as he concentrated on his rehabilitation.
Ahead of the 2019-20 season, Reid reported for pre-season as he continued to improve his match fitness. Following an appearance in Premier League 2, he went on loan to Major League Soccer side Sporting Kansas City. The American club decided not to sign Reid on a permanent deal, despite his 12 promising appearances.
In February 2021, the 33-year-old centre-back joined Brentford FC in the Championship. He made 11 appearances in total for the Bees and helped them achieve their goal of playing in the Premier League.
However, following their promotion, Brentford pursued other ambitious targets at centre-back, such as Kristoffer Ajer from Celtic. As things stand, Reid is still a West Ham player and has been awarded the no.2 kit ahead of the 2021-22 Premier League season.
Coming back from a horrifying knee injury is always hard and at the age of 33, he is unlikely to break into the West Ham first team. However, Reid's contract with the club runs until 2023.
#4 Sheyi Ojo (Liverpool)
Sheyi Ojo joined Liverpool from MK Dons in 2011. At the time, he was a highly-rated prospect, having played for the MK Dons U18 side at the age of 13. Following promising performances in the youth leagues, Ojo was promoted to the first team in 2014-15 as he was named on the bench for a Premier League game against Burnley on Boxing Day.
In February 2015, he joined Wigan Athletic on loan. However, the winger failed to score a single goal or claim an assist in his 11 appearances in the Championship. The following season saw him return to the second division, this time with Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Two goals, five assists and 17 appearances later, he was recalled to Liverpool in January. Over the next half of the season, Ojo made several cup appearances, along with eight in the Premier League. Despite not being able to get on the scoresheet, he claimed three assists.
Ojo's promising cameos were cut short by a back injury, which forced him out of action for a considerable period of time. He battled to regain match fitness in 2016-17, making just two first-team appearances in the FA Cup.
The winger has since been on loan at Fulham, Reims and Rangers. Most recently, the 24-year-old winger was at Cardiff City during the 2020-21 season, where he notched up 42 appearances across all competitions.
With his contract due to expire in 2023, Liverpool will be looking to loan Ojo out again should no permanent bid come in. However, for now, he has been handed the no.54 kit at Anfield for the 2021-22 Premier League season.
#3 Jurgen Locadia (Brighton)
Jurgen Locadia's move to the Premier League was with Brighton in January 2018. He was the Seagulls' club-record transfer at the time. Having scored 45 goals and picked up 34 assists over 127 Eredivisie appearances, the Dutch striker bore the weight of expectation on his shoulders.
Ahead of his move, Locadia was in fine form for his former side PSV. He found the net nine times and further picked up six assists in the first half of the 2017-18 season. However, he failed to recreate the same form in the Premier League, as he scored just once and notched an assist in six appearances.
The 2018-19 Premier League season was another opportunity for Locadia to impress, as he was handed the no.9 shirt. His failure to recreate his form continued, however, as he managed just two goals in 26 appearances.
Graham Potter's arrival as the new head coach of Brighton ahead of the 2019-20 Premier League season saw him fall out of favor. He made two appearances under the new manager before being loaned to Bundesliga side Hoffenheim. Four goals and eleven league appearances later, Locadia returned from Germany as his loan move was cut short.
A new chapter unfolded in Locadia's career when he made the switch to Major League Soccer side FC Cincinnati. The Dutch striker made 17 appearances and found the back of the net just once in the USA. Nonetheless, his loan was extended until July 2021, and he managed to score one more goal in nine appearances during the period.
FC Cincinnati decided against making his move permanent, and Locadia returned to England. As things stand, Locadia forms part of Brighton's Premier League squad for 2021-22, and wears the no.37 kit for the Seagulls.
#2 Patrick Roberts (Manchester City)
Patrick Roberts joined Manchester City from Fulham in the summer of 2015, and formed part of their first-team squad. In the first half of the 2015-16 season, he made three appearances off the bench for the Citizens, with just one in the Premier League. However, in need of minutes, the winger joined Scottish side Celtic on loan in January 2016.
The move to Scotland proved beneficial for the youngster, as he scored six times and picked up an assist in 11 appearances. As per the 18-month agreement between Manchester City and Celtic, Roberts continued with the same side in 2016-17. Over the course of the season, he made 47 appearances, including his first taste of Champions League football.
Following a fruitful campaign where Roberts scored 11 times and set up 19 more in all competitions, his loan was extended for another season. He failed to build on his promising season, however. The 2017-18 campaign was riddled with injuries and Roberts was restricted to just 18 appearances in all competitions, where he scored once and picked up five assists.
A loan to Manchester City's sister club Girona FC was not up to standard either, as Roberts did not score a single goal in 19 appearances in La Liga in 2018-19. Ahead of the 2019-20 season, he was given a minor role at City by Pep Guardiola, making three appearances in the Premier League.
Loans to the Championship have followed for Roberts, playing for Norwich City, Middlesbrough and Derby County. The 24-year-old has failed to establish himself at any of these clubs, scoring twice in two seasons.
However, Patrick Roberts forms part of Manchester City's Premier League squad for 2021-22. With his contract due to expire at the end of the season, the Citizens might be tempted to cash in on him in the final few days of the transfer window.
#1 Aaron Lennon (Burnley)
Aaron Lennon is no stranger to the Premier League. In fact, every fan remembers his Tottenham days, where his tricky feet often troubled defenders. The 34-year-old winger has made 388 appearances in the Premier League, scoring 34 times and picking up 50 assists.
Lennon has made 365 appearances for Tottenham since 2005, scoring 30 times and notching 78 assists. However, he made the switch to fellow Premier League side Everton in February 2015, initially on loan. Ahead of the 2016-17 season, he made the move to the Merseyside club permanent.
The switch did not particularly help Lennon, as he made 11 Premier League appearances that season. A further decline in minutes the following season saw the winger move to Burnley in January 2018. After his move to Turf Moor, he featured in every single Premier League game under Sean Dyche in the second half of the 2017-18 season.
Ever since, injuries and off-field problems have tormented Lennon. The 2018-19 and 2019-20 Premier League seasons were not his best, as he made just 32 appearances over two years. His contract was not renewed by Burnley at the end of 2020, and he chose to join Turkish side Kayserispor.
Lennon made 36 appearances in the Turkish Super Lig in 2020-21, but failed to score a single goal. He picked up five assists along the way, however.
Burnley have not been very active in the transfer market in 2021 unlike their Premier League peers, but have signed Lennon again on a one-year deal.
