5 players who had the biggest falls from grace

#3 Mido

There was once a time when Mido was touted for big things. Initially starting off his journey as a fresh-faced 16-year-old with Egyptian side Zamalek SC he impressed there for a time before Belgian team Gent came calling and he seized the opportunity with both hands. It was supposed to be the start of a wonderful era of prosperity for the teenage sensation and for a time he lived up to the hype.

Eventually joining Ajax in the Eredivisie, he teamed up with Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The pair dovetailed wonderfully when they got on, but Mido would quickly wind up on the bad side of his manager Ronald Koeman (as well as tussling with Ibra). A war of words and some public bust-ups fueled by Koeman’s insinuation that the then 19-year-old didn’t try hard in training caused their relationship to go sour and the player was rapidly banished to the reserves.

Possessing a rather self-centred attitude, Mido seemed to always look out for himself. If things weren’t going his way, he would have his say and let people know exactly why he was unhappy. In the end, his outbursts and lack of respect for those around him got in the way of his football ability.

Issues with weight also plagued him badly for a number of seasons and the once celebrated Egyptian found himself frozen out of the game before he eventually retired at the age of only 30. Having been such a bright light in the beautiful game in his formative years, his fuse had blown all too early and he quickly wound up in the dark with nowhere left to turn.