'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Coming across a young 16-year-old player who has been dubbed a "wonderkid" by the press, fans and even critics can be exciting. Everyone is on the lookout for the next Lionel Messi or the next Manuel Neuer. Any young footballer who shows off more talent than their peers is quickly picked for the role.
There have been many cases of players who have failed to live up to their potential, either due to injuries or inconsistently poor performances. A good example is Philippe Cristanval who won the Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year award and won the league with Monaco in 1999-2000. But after a failed move to Barcelona, Marseilles, and Fulham, he retired at just 29.
Harry Kewell helped Leeds get to the semi-finals of the Champions League at such a young age and moved to Liverpool with the world at his feet. The five years he spent at Liverpool were laden with injuries, and he was eventually shipped off to Galatasaray. From the Turkish league, he eventually moved to the Australian league where he eventually retired: a far cry from what was expected of his career.
Players like these have had injuries or bad form diminish their potential. But there are some footballers whose off-field issues have dramatically hampered their careers. Without further ado, let's take a look at some talented players who flopped due to problems they had off the field:
#5 Ravel Morrison | former Manchester United wonderkid
Ravel Morrison started out as, in Alex Ferguson's words, the best player the manager had seen at that age. With that description, he should have been the biggest player out of Manchester United in the last decade. He was dubbed the next Wayne Rooney and seen as United's best prospect since George Best. But Morrison's career was quickly stagnant, partly due to legal issues, and he ended up leaving for West Ham.
He was unable to properly settle down in a single club. The star ended up struggling to maintain a first-team spot through all 11 other clubs he played for, even before he turned 28.
He's currently joined Derby County and has reconnected with his former teammate and current Derby manager Wayne Rooney. While it might be too late for the former wonderkid, he may somewhat redeem himself with this chance at the Championship side.
#4 Adriano | former Inter wonderkid
Before Neymar burst into the Brazilian scene ten years ago, Adriano was the biggest star out of the South American nation. Flourishing at Flamengo while he was still 17, the former star moved to Internazionale when he was just 19. His brilliant performances on loan catapulted him into the first team for the Nerazurri. He quickly became a superstar, winning four Serie A titles with Inter. So what went wrong?
Adriano's father died of a heart attack when the star was 22, and although his performances didn't derail, he started drinking a lot and clubbing. He was dropped from the Brazil squad twice after getting caught at nightclubs, but it didn't help.
Inter's patience wore off with the star and he was sent back to Sao Paulo in Brazil on loan. Drugs and alcohol, as well as an achilles injury, reduced his time on the pitch for the clubs he later joined. From 2010 until his retirement in 2016, Adriano played less than 50 matches.
#3 Mario Balotelli | former Italian wonderkid
Mario Balotelli emerged as a brilliant star for Italy during the 2012 European Championship. It almost seemed like his route to stardom was set in the annals of destiny. The reality, however, was a rude shock.
The star went from playing for top Premier League clubs to plying his trade with Serie B side Monza before he even turned 30. Now at Adana Demirspor, Balotelli has made just 58 appearances with four clubs since 2018.
Disciplinary problems seemed to follow the Italian star to every club he joined. The star notably dragged Manchester City to a Premier League tribunal to fight the club's decision to fine him.
His inconsistencies often resurfaced with each dramatic dispute, with the star unable to capture his form during these issues. His presence in the final third remains potent, but only in moments of brilliance. That's because when tempers rise, a 10-game goal drought won't be out of the question for Mario Balotelli.
#2 El Hadji Diouf | former Senegalese wonderkid
After a scintillating season with Lens in the French league, Liverpool were quick to purchase the 21-year-old wonderkid in 2002 for £10 million. However, all El Hadji Diouf managed to bring to Anfield were his controversies. He remains one of the worst strikers in Liverpool's long history.
His performances for Senegal might have been brilliant, but the star failed to replicate that brilliance for his club.
His controversial antics included spitting on an 11-year-old Middlesbrough fan. He also snatched the ball from fellow teammate Neil Mellor to take a penalty. He notably got on the bad side of both Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard.
Diouf left Liverpool with just six goals in 79 appearances which is a worse return than most midfielders. His career continued downhill from there, and he eventually retired in the Malaysia Premier League.
#1 Adrian Mutu | former Chelsea star
Chelsea's decision to pay an exorbitant fee for Adrian Mutu made a lot of sense in 2003, especially with his brilliant performances in Serie A in mind. He had scored 22 goals in 36 appearances for Parma.
Interestingly, his time at Chelsea started hitch-free, with the star scoring on his debut and enjoying braces in back-to-back games. However, the downturn quickly started after he was embroiled in a very public divorce battle.
Another public feud began with Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho. This came after the manager made it clear that he had no intentions of playing Mutu, likely due to the star's off-field antics. Everything eventually came to a rough end when Mutu was sacked by Chelsea after failing a drug test.
Constant legal battles with Chelsea, since 2004, hampered his future prospects. After a short stint with Juventus, the star played for Fiorentina for most of his later career.
