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#3 Jonathan Woodgate
The English centre-back has had a pretty decent career. It could have been exceptional had it not been for his injuries. Jonathan Woodgate began his professional journey at Leeds United and was termed an all-rounder when with the academy.
However, injuries had other plans and his limited five-year spell ended when the club sold him to Newcastle United because of their unstable financial condition. He quickly became Newcastle's favorite but another serious injury there saw his future go vague.
Having ended his first full season early on, he was surprisingly targeted by Real Madrid, who signed him in 2004. This move was considered surprising because of his injury history, and mainly because he was still injured while the move was completed.
Woodgate did not play the first season. He made his Real Madrid debut after a whole year, and 14 appearances later, another injury setback ended his journey there.
#2 Thomas Vermaelen
Thomas Vermaelen is another centre-back on this list who has had his best period plagued by injuries. Ajax academy graduate Vermaelen was an important player and contributed profusely to the club. Along with winning five trophies there, he also captained his side.
He joined Arsenal in 2009, replacing the departing Kolo Toure. Although he missed almost a whole season due to an injury, he managed to produce a great spell with Arsenal. After five years with the Gunners, he was signed by Barcelona. He was expected to make his debut soon, but repeated injuries delayed it.
Vermaelen had to wait nine months before he could make his debut for the Spanish side. Although he had a trophy-laden period at Camp Nou, his injuries limited his appearances. In 2019, he joined Japanese club Vissel Kobe and is currently in his third season with them.
#1 Wayne Rooney
Even the most successful Manchester United player had his share of the wait before making his debut. One of the biggest talents England has ever produced, Wayne Rooney started his career at Everton. He was a teenage sensation and was already showing signs of developing into a deadly striker.
Manchester United signed him for a sum of £27 million, which was the highest ever fee paid for a teenager at that time. Fair to say, it was worth every penny. Rooney had to wait a month before making his debut. But when he did, all the raised eyebrows disappeared.
Making his debut in the Champions League on 28th September 2004, he scored a hat-trick that made him one of the youngest players in the competition to achieve the feat. In 13 years, he went on to score 253 goals in a Manchester United shirt, surpassing Sir Bobby Charlton's record and is still the club's top-scorer.
