Top 5 forgotten wonderkids of in the history of football

Football often unearths hidden gems but some wonderkids are forgotten after a while

Football fans have seen some of the biggest superstars in its history. Unlike many other sports football has a huge place for young talents.

Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney who are/have been on the pinnacle of world football made a name for them during their teenage years. Recently, the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, Joao Felix, Phil Foden and many others have been prompted to conquer the world football.

However, there is a downside to all this. There have been wonderkids who have just not able to create headlines as some others did.

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1 Here are 5 forgotten wonderkids of football

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Here are 5 forgotten wonderkids of football

5. Robinho

Robinho was one of the best young talents coming out of Santos. With many labelling him as “new Pele” the Brazilian was destined for greatness. His quick feet and tricky dribbling was appreciated by many potential buyers in Europe.

In 2005, Real Madrid signed him. The player had his odd moment of brilliance with the club. However, failed to produce anything significant.

Poor behaviour with coaches and staff was said to be the ultimate cause his downfall.

4. Dele Alli

Dele Alli was supposed to be the next big thing in English football. In the 2016/17 season the Tottenham midfielder scored 18 goals and racked up 7 assists. He was mentioned along with the likes of Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard.

Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli in action. (Getty Images)

In an interview with Sportsbible, Sir Alex Ferguson admitted he was wrong about Alli –

“I thought Dele Alli was going to be a top player, I must admit,”
“I don’t know what’s happened there.”

3. Alen Halilović

The Croatian was destined to be one of the worlds best attacking midfielders. Barcelona scouted the player in 2014. However, tragedy stuck for the player. Barcelona were banned from registering new players due to illegal activities. Halilovic would have to wait a year to make his first team debut. The player struggled for minutes and the break from first team football was proving costly for him.

The 25-year-old is currently a free agent following his time at Birmingham City. He is still young and could revive his career.

2. Adnan Januzaj

To start about Adnan Januzaj here is a quote from then Manchester United manager David Moyes –

“As far as debuts go, I would be surprised if even the great players in United’s past have shown such promise on day one,”

It is fair to say the player has come nowhere close to that expectation. After his disappointing United career, he was sent on loan to Borussia Dortmund and Sunderland. Both moves added more disappointment next to his name.

In 2017, United permanently cut ties with Januzaj. However, it seems that the player has at least found stability with his current side Real Sociedad.

1. Javier Saviola

Javier Saviola joined Barcelona in 1999. The player was coming off a memorable reign at River Plate. At the age of 19 he was named as the South American Footballer of the Year.

He started brightly during his initial years. However, his form and game time started to fade away. Following loans to Monaco and Sevilla, he was signed by Real Madrid. However, the story was the same.