View Full Version : Prodigies that never did it
andyinswinton
07-08-06, 10:44 PM
Because Le Tallec is on his way very soon, I got to thinking about those much hyped wonder-kids that never actually lived up to their reputations.
Whatever happened to Cherno Samba?
Who remembers Sonny Pike at Ajax?
Would Wayne Harrison ever have made it at Anfield?
What other kids are out there that never really made it?
Last I heard of Cherno Samba he was plying his trade for some bobbins MLS club, although I'm sure someone said on here recently that he'd gone to Bristol City?
Theo Walcott :D
TheStig
07-08-06, 10:59 PM
Last I heard of Cherno Samba he was plying his trade for some bobbins MLS club, although I'm sure someone said on here recently that he'd gone to Bristol City?
Theo Walcott :D
He plays in the Spanish Second Division.
http://www.icons.com/samba/
http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,1563,1411968,00.html
andyinswinton
07-08-06, 11:06 PM
Richie Partridge?
Good one. He's at Rotherham now after being released by Sheffield Wednesday.
Good one. He's at Rotherham now after being released by Sheffield Wednesday.
I know a Wednesday lad who goes all over watching them, and he kept me informed about how Partridge was doing. Said he liked him, as did most of the fans, but he never got a decent run in the side and Sturrock didn't seem to rate the lad.
michael chopra
partridge should have been given a chance under thompson when ged was injured , we were crying out for any sort of width.
he did well at coventry but stature was always going to be a problem for him.pity,nice lad.
michael chopra
Not sure he was ever deemed anything like a wonderkid?
Jenas was hailed as a wonderkid, I don't think he's done owt special.
Liam Miller :haha: :haha: :haha: :haha: :haha:
Jenas was hailed as a wonderkid, I don't think he's done owt special.
My young cousin was on Forest's books at the time Jenas was there...a couple of years younger than him though. He used to rave about Jenas, and said everyone within the club fully expected him to go on and become some kind of all conquering great...the sort of player Gerrard has become, really.
And after all that, he's shite. :o
TheStig
07-08-06, 11:27 PM
My young cousin was on Forest's books at the time Jenas was there...a couple of years younger than him though. He used to rave about Jenas, and said everyone within the club fully expected him to go on and become some kind of all conquering great...the sort of player Gerrard has become, really.
And after all that, he's shite. :o
Well to be fair he's not done badly has he? I think it's unrealistic to say people will be the "next Pele" at about 16-17. Alot of those who did make it eventually where "surprises" to some.
Well to be fair he's not done badly has he? I think it's unrealistic to say people will be the "next Pele" at about 16-17. Alot of those who did make it eventually where "surprises" to some.
Yeah obviously in all fairness and in the grand scheme of things, he's done rather well.
Still don't rate him though. AT ALL. :D
TheStig
07-08-06, 11:51 PM
Neither do I.
How he got in the England squad I will never know.
Richie Partridge?
In fairness, he was hit hard by injuries.
I actually played against him once in a friendly match.
Quality player even at that age.
Freddie Adu. Where is he these days?
Freddie Adu. Where is he these days?
Is he not still about 14? He was three when he signed his first professional contract, you know?
Can't be all bad - he was quoted the other day saying he was disappointed with the quality of Chelsea on their US tour. Played for the MLS all-stars in the team that beat them I believe.
Because Le Tallec is on his way very soon, I got to thinking about those much hyped wonder-kids that never actually lived up to their reputations.
Whatever happened to Cherno Samba?
Who remembers Sonny Pike at Ajax?
Would Wayne Harrison ever have made it at Anfield?
What other kids are out there that never really made it?
Thats one I'd loved to know what happened too. He was raved about for ages, every club round Europe went for him and eventually he went to Ajax I think - I remember he was on baddiel and Skinners Fantasy football ages and ages ago.
Because Le Tallec is on his way very soon, I got to thinking about those much hyped wonder-kids that never actually lived up to their reputations.
Whatever happened to Cherno Samba?
Who remembers Sonny Pike at Ajax?
Would Wayne Harrison ever have made it at Anfield?
What other kids are out there that never really made it?
I actually know Wayne Harrison, nice guy and from what I remember I think he would have made it. Now works for Robinsons Brewery delivering beer. one dream job to another
Rafael Van der Vaart. What happened to that world beater?
Helped Hamburg to the CL in the Bundesliga I think - apparently been very good for them.
BobSkinstad
08-08-06, 09:33 PM
Yes, he has been very good for them but there were very few buyers in for him when he left Ajax.
First post, by the way. Hello everyone.
andyinswinton
08-08-06, 10:26 PM
Gianluigi Lentini was the most expensive player in the world at one point going from Torino to Milan but I think got into a car crash and his career went into freefall.
Wasn't Denilson the most expensive player at one point?
Gianluigi Lentini was the most expensive player in the world at one point going from Torino to Milan but I think got into a car crash and his career went into freefall.
God almighty...Lentini! I remember being absolutely gobsmacked at the time by the fee - was it something like £13m?
Didn't boro pay over 10mil for Maccarone? :haha:
Didn't boro pay over 10mil for Maccarone? :haha:
£8.5m if I remember rightly. :haha:
paulcooper4
09-08-06, 12:07 AM
remember boro`s new maradona carlos marinelli? he was shite, what happened to him?
Freddie Adu. Where is he these days?
He's hardly a talent to 'never do it'. He is still only 17 I think and is at DC United in the MLS.
Also Max Vieri for Australia. Cristian's brother and everyone was raving about him. Then he played a game for Australia and was shite and haven't heard anything about him since. :p
the biggest failed prodigy of all time has got to be jimmy carter
no question
andyinswinton
09-08-06, 11:24 AM
Who remembers George Weah's "cousin" Ali Dia?
Souness had high hopes for him at Southampton!
paulcooper4
09-08-06, 11:32 AM
Who remembers George Weah's "cousin" Ali Dia?
Souness had high hopes for him at Southampton!
shit yeah, he rang him up pretending to be an agent and said he had georgey weahs cousin and he was shit hot. manager of the century signed him and bought him on as a sub without ever seeing him play. Then had to re-sub him after 5 mins. i was pissin meself laughin for ages after that. souey strikes again!:crackoff:
andyinswinton
09-08-06, 11:39 AM
I think by the end of the season, he couldn't even manage to get into Gateshead reserves!
Sprouty
09-08-06, 04:27 PM
Richie Partridge?
I went on and on about this guy a few years ago. I was convinced he would be a massive player for us.
so it was you that jinxed him.
:D
Sprouty
09-08-06, 04:32 PM
Probably..:D
These Jinx things are dangerous. :p
haha - to be fair whilst I was at uni I used to play footie with a lad who was a Coventry season ticket holder(at the time partridge was on loan) He raved on about and how he was the best player in the league - think he may have won their player of the season too.
I went on and on about this guy a few years ago. I was convinced he would be a massive player for us.
Massive for a Borrower maybe....
Sprouty
09-08-06, 05:02 PM
:haha:
andyinswinton
10-08-06, 01:09 PM
Going back to the old Championship Manager days, I remember a Ghanaian called Nil Lamptey who was some sort of wonder kid at Anderlecht. I think he went to Coventry and did absolutly nothing.
If we are talking about CM prodogies then Tonton Zola Mokokou and Kennedy Bakircioglu deserve a mention. And from CM2/3 everyone who has been born and can claim dual Swedish/Turkish nationality has let me down.
andyinswinton
10-08-06, 01:23 PM
If we are talking about CM prodogies then Tonton Zola Mokokou and Kennedy Bakircioglu deserve a mention. And from CM2/3 everyone who has been born and can claim dual Swedish/Turkish nationality has let me down.
Kennedy Bakircioglu - My all time favourite CM player. I still look out for him now!
how about Mark Kennedy?
Mo Zidan as well.
Kennedy Bakircioglu - My all time favourite CM player. I still look out for him now!
Apparently in real life he had a trial at Man Utd. So in some ways I'm glad he never made it and sullied all my memories.
Apparently in real life he had a trial at Man Utd. So in some ways I'm glad he never made it and sullied all my memories.
If memory serves me right was he a AMR/FC
also think he signed for Inter
You are right about his position (at least in CM terms). Apparently he is now playing for Twente Enschede in Holland. link (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/players/stats?id=10848&cc=5739)
If we are talking about CM prodogies then Tonton Zola Mokokou and Kennedy Bakircioglu deserve a mention. And from CM2/3 everyone who has been born and can claim dual Swedish/Turkish nationality has let me down.
Tonton Zola Mokokou!! Good call! He scored something like 50 goals from midfield for me one year. He was 17 or thereabouts. Good eh?!
andyinswinton
10-08-06, 08:42 PM
I had a look for Tonton Zola Mokokou and this is what I found!
http://derbycounty.rivals.net/?sid=886&p=2&stid=8272116
And for the Swedish amongst us!
http://www.vf.se/vf/docs/visa_arkiv.asp?artikelID=831397
He was a quality player in that game!
Sonny Pike - Ended up hating football in the end. Still musn't be that old though. Is now playing football for fun.
Jimmy Carter - Now he was shite!
Richie Humphries was supposed to be the English Van Basten when he broke through. He's now plying his trade for the Pool with all the Monkey Hangers. Chris Bart Williams was another. I used to play against a kid called Jamie Burt when i was younger and he used to make an arse out of me every time. He played for England Schoolboys with Owen as well. He ended up getting mixed up with drugs and the Blyth crew and stealing Phillipe Alberts wallet. last i heard apparently there was a hit out on him. Shame because he would have been one of the best.
Oh and for comedy value see Michael Branch, Danny Cademateri and Gareth Farrelly
andyinswinton
10-08-06, 11:23 PM
Evertons youth team provide a lot of comedy value!
Kennedy Bakircioglu - My all time favourite CM player. I still look out for him now!
Anatoli Todorov is the greatest CM player ever! :rock:
An absolutely DEADLY striker.
How about that Rooney guy? Wasn't he suppose to win England some World Cup all on his own? ;) :p
Richie Humphries was supposed to be the English Van Basten when he broke through. He's now plying his trade for the Pool with all the Monkey Hangers. Chris Bart Williams was another. I used to play against a kid called Jamie Burt when i was younger and he used to make an arse out of me every time. He played for England Schoolboys with Owen as well. He ended up getting mixed up with drugs and the Blyth crew and stealing Phillipe Alberts wallet. last i heard apparently there was a hit out on him. Shame because he would have been one of the best.
Hahaha! I know Jamie Burt - the wife's best mate went out with him for a few years as his career went down the pan.
I watched him play a few times before he got involved with the wife's bezzie mate and I thought he had the world at his feet. He signed for Chesterfield after impressing against them in the FA Cup for Emley and initially did brilliantly.
He was a total piss-head though, and Chesterfield eventually released him. He went to Carlisle when Steve Collins' hard case brother was in charge. He incurred his wrath a few times, notably on one occasion when Collins busted Burt (and a few others) in a local nightclub and he had Jamie pinned up against the wall.
Carlisle released him and he played for Scarborough, Whitby (sacked him after a week) and then Blyth Spartans. No idea what he's doing now as the relationship ended badly and the guy was seemingly hell-bent on ruining every opportunity life presented to him.
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