Anderson and John Obi Mikel

Ah, the dream. Right at this very moment, there are literally thousands of kids, fleet of foot and almost overflowing with the cup of youthful promise, who spend their nights dreaming of those glorious European nights, already scoring the injury-time goal that will have the fans chanting their names for years on end.

For the chosen few, the academy players, days that would otherwise be spent in laughter and cartoons are replaced by hours upon hours of devotion to the game. Parents are just as devoted to their charges’ hopes and dreams – the reality that most of them will never make it to the top is a possibility that is never even entertained.

Because one day Arsene Wenger will see a video of their kid skipping past two boys twice his size, and letting one rip into the top corner. He will wave his magic wand, and the Promised Land will reveal itself to be all that was once just the stuff of dreams. Amen.

People see what they want to see. And it is difficult to take your eyes off this game, even for those of us looking at it from the outside in, on another hemisphere. What chance does a lifelong Liverpool fan have, when all he dreams of is watching his son play from the stands at the Kop?

But what of those who make it to the top?

It is here that Manchester United’s Anderson, and Chelsea’s John Obi Mikel, inhabit a universe that may even be unique to them.

Prodigious talents who have made it through all the trials and tribulations that this game will throw at you, and still find themselves at a crossroads, the like of which they never imagined just a few years ago.

Perennial fringe players at two of the biggest clubs on the planet, fans of both teams are eternally surprised that these two names are still on the team roster. But life wasn’t always so bleak for the two.

Anderson, as Manchester United fans will sadly reflect, was the Golden Ball winner at the 2005 FIFA U-17 World Championship, an attacking midfielder touted to be the next Ronaldinho, of all people. It certainly convinced Sir Alex Ferguson, who shelled out a remarkable €30 million for the youngster, in a summer that also saw the arrival of the much-maligned Nani.

But while Nani has always flirted with greatness before proving it all to be just smoke and mirrors, Anderson has settled into a mediocrity that has seen him relegated to a spot in the background.

Mikel’s story is even more complicated. Desperate to sign for Manchester United, and at one point, even unveiled at a press conference with the jersey number “21”, Chelsea’s back-door shenanigans saw Sir Alex relent, and settle on the £12 million pay-out that reportedly reduced the Nigerian to tears.

Ultimately, would things have turned out better for Mikel if he had joined Manchester United?

Both players were uniquely gifted attack-minded players, prodigies who had the world at their feet in their teens. The dream move to the top- notch club, however, didn’t quite pan out the way they thought it would.

Possessing a physical presence that aided their silky games, they were pushed into unfamiliar roles by two of the biggest names in the game – Sir Alex and Jose Mourinho.

Sir Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho

And before the Manchester United fans claim the injustice of it all, apparently a similar fate awaited Mikel if he had made the move to United – Lyn director Morgan Andersen said that Sir Alex told him that “Mikel would be the next Roy Keane” at one point during those negotiations.

Lyn, of course, was the third club at the centre of the scandal that saw the Premier League rivals tug at each of Mikel’s arms.

But what chance does a youngster have when he is told that he could end up as the “next Roy Keane”? He would be inclined to bow to the judgement of a man who is regarded as possibly the greatest ever club manager.

And who knows, maybe Old Trafford would’ve seen Mikel emerge to be all that Sir Alex predicted.

But to expect a young man to make such a drastic switch in his game, especially when he would be starry-eyed and naive in the role, and on such a big stage as well – seems a tad too much. Mikel need only look as far as Anderson to see that.

Hell, for all we know, the two of them would’ve probably started taking turns to be at the receiving end of every boot Sir Alex kicked in the dressing room, if only to force a move away.

And forcing a move away does seem to be the right thing to do – Mikel is just 26, Anderson 25. They still have at least five good years at the top, and plenty of experience to go with it now. Surviving at these top clubs for this long is no mean feat in itself – a combination of their own undoubted talent and the price tags they came with.

A more advanced role in a lesser club would be the shot-in-the-arm their careers deserve. Anderson, especially, could possibly have made the move a couple of years back, if only to bring himself into contention for the World Cup on his home soil.

Mikel may have enjoyed a prolonged run in the Nigerian scheme of things, but he will harbour strong feelings of regret that may only be assuaged by a more prominent role in a team that recognizes his talent.

Their careers bring to the fore the insurmountable battle that every young player – no matter how talented – faces in the “eat or be eaten” world of football.

They are not the prima donnas like Quaresma or Andy van der Meyde, who have let their egos rule a career that promised so much more. They are the professionals who trusted their managers’ vision and judgement, but still face a career that sees them share a dressing room with youngsters who have overtaken them in the battle to the top. Do you not think they have had moments where they maybe thought – could that have been me?

There have been accusations of excessive partying – but then that is a brush all footballers are tarred with. And one that can be used as a convenient tool – Real Madrid’s pathetic attempt to justify Ozil’s sale is but one example.

Injuries? Yes. But to assume they are solely responsible for the plateauing of these careers that seemed destined to scale the tallest peaks – that seems a little too naive an explanation.

Ultimately, if even colossuses like Sir Alex and Mourinho can unwittingly go wrong, then what can be said about the sheer volume of the nameless, faceless dreamers who had it all snatched away without even a chance?

Football has never been an exact science – there is no mark or cut-off, the like of which we see in athletics or swimming. And in all this glorious uncertainty and unpredictability, thousands fall in at the cracks, while only the chosen rise to the top.

Thankfully, for the duo in the title, redemption could still just be around the corner.

Anderson and John Obi Mikel - destiny's forgotten children