5 players who left European football too soon

One thing we have really seen in recent years is the growing influence of China and the USA in football. More and more players are leaving Europe, particularly at the end of their careers, and earning massive wages in leagues which are far weaker than the ones they have left.

The USA was the first real location for players approaching the twilight of their career. David Beckham was the first high profile player to move to the States when he left Real Madrid to join LA Galaxy in 2007. He had a couple of short spells in Europe in the following years, but he really paved the way for players to move to America.

In recent years, the likes of Frank Lampard, Thierry Henry and David Villa have all moved to the MLS, with varying levels of success. What we have seen though, over the last couple of years is the emergence of China as an option for players, with Chinese clubs offering extraordinary wages to players.

Because of the money on offer in China, we have seen a change in the type of players who have left European football. No longer is it just players approaching the end of their career who are looking for one last big pay day, it is players who we still think have a lot to offer, and are probably too good for the level of football played in those countries.

Here are five players who perhaps left European football too early.

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#1 Yannick Carrasco

Carrasco scored in the 2016 Champions League final

Carrasco is one of the more recent players to leave Europe in favour of a move to China. The Belgian had an excellent time with Atletico Madrid, after initially making a name for himself in France with Monaco. The winger spent three seasons with Monaco and really made his mark in his final year at the Stade Louis II. He was a part of their impressive run in the Champions League, which included winning 3-1 at the Emirates against Arsenal, a game in which Carrasco netted.

This was enough to earn him a move to Atletico, in a deal worth £22 million. He enjoyed a successful spell in the Spanish capital, which included scoring in the Champions League final against Real Madrid in 2016. He has also become an important player in the Belgian squad and was part of the side that won the bronze medal at the World Cup this summer. He moved to China in February this year, joining Dalian Yifang, along with his Atletico teammate Nicolas Gaitan.

#2 Sebastian Giovinco

Giovinco has impressed with Toronto in the MLS

Giovinco has endured a slightly strange career. He came through the ranks at Juventus, and despite putting in some promising performances throughout his time in Italy, never really held down a spot in the side. He scored only 12 goals in his 92 Serie A appearances, but did enough to earn a call-up to the Italian national side, for whom he won 23 caps over five years. He has perhaps suffered from the physicality of the game in Europe, given that he is just 5ft 4in tall, and would often be dwarfed by opposition centre backs.

He moved to Toronto FC in 2015 and has gone on to become one of the best players to have played in the MLS. He has played 108 league games in the league for Toronto, scoring an impressive 65 goals, and looking a class above some of the other talents in America. He may not be good enough to play for a side of the calibre of Juve again, but he is certainly capable of doing the job for a side in one of Europe’s top leagues.

#3 Oscar

Oscar burst on to the scene against Juventus with a screamer

Oscar is perhaps the biggest name to leave Europe for China in recent years. He joined Chelsea in 2012 after the Blues won the Champions League for the first time, and was an important part of the side that won the Premier League and Europa League during his time with the English club. In his four and a half years at Chelsea, he appeared over 200 times in all competitions, scoring 38 goals.

He was also an important member of the Brazil side and was named in the World Cup Team of the Tournament in 2014. However, he struggled to make an impact under Antonio Conte at Chelsea and moved to Shanghai SIPG in January 2017 in a deal worth £60 million. He hasn’t had the most successful time in China and was given an eight match ban for his role in a brawl against Guangzhou R&F in June 2017. He is still more than capable of doing a job at a top European club.

#4 Alex Teixeira

Teixeira moved to China in 2016

Not many players have missed out as much as a result of their move to China. Teixeira scored an incredible 22 goals in just 15 league games in the first half of the 2015/16 season with Shakhtar Donetsk and seemed all set for a move to Liverpool in January, only for his side to refuse to sanction the move. Four days after the window shut, he moved to Jiangsu Suning in China for £45 million.

Since then, he has almost become a forgotten man as far as European football is concerned. He was one of the most sought-after players in football in 2016 and could have gone on to play for one of the top sides in Europe, but the horse appears to have bolted on that, and it seems unlikely that he will have another opportunity with one of Europe’s better sides. His move also cost him any chance of playing for his country, and he is still to be selected for Brazil’s senior side.

#5 Andres Iniesta

Iniesta is one of the greatest midfielders to have played the game

It seems strange to say that Iniesta left Europe too early given that he is 34 years old, but even now, he is far too good to be playing in Japan. He is one of most technically gifted players to have played the game, and he was such an important player in making the Barcelona side managed by Pep Guardiola one of the greatest club sides we have ever seen.

It is clear that Iniesta doesn’t want to come up against Barcelona, the only club team he has played for. Therefore, he made the move to Vissel Kobe in Japan, and he has made an immediate impact for his new team. He has already scored two quite brilliant goals in the J-League and has reminded everyone how good a player he still is, despite his age.