5 famous one-season wonders in Premier League history
Since its inception in 1992, the Premier League has developed into one of the best and toughest football leagues in the world. England's top flight in football has played host to some of the world's best footballers over the years, who have gone on to win numerous individual and team accolades during their time in England.
Players often take time to adapt to the speed and physical nature of the English game. A footballer's ability to cope with the demands of Premier League football and perform at the top level on a consistent basis is often used as the standard to measure one's quality and greatness.
Some players like Alan Shearer, Steven Gerrard, Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard, and Ryan Giggs maintained high standards of performance for over 10 years. However, these guys are less in number.
Most footballers often settle in quickly to the Premier League and enjoy a few prolific seasons for their clubs before fading away as they fail to replicate their performances over a longer period of time. These players are often referred to as 'one-season wonders'.
On that note, we will take a look at the top 5 famous one-season wonders in Premier League history.
#5 Michu scored 15 Premier League goals in his debut season
Michu joined Premier League strugglers Swansea City from Rayo Vallecano in a bargain deal worth £2 million in the summer of 2012. He enjoyed an impressive 2011-12 season in front of goal for Rayo Vallecano, during which he scored 17 goals in 39 appearances. It earned him a move to the Premier League.
Swansea's possession-based attacking style of football suited the striker, and he went on to score 18 goals in 35 league appearances for the Welsh club in his debut season in the Premier League.
After a brilliant first season in England, Michu struggled to replicate his goal-scoring form in the following campaign, scoring just two goals in 17 appearances. He was loaned out to Napoli the following season and subsequently joined Austrian amateurs UP Langreo.
#4 Papiss Cisse helped Newcastle United finish 5th
Papiss Cisse's debut season with Newcastle United is one that may never be forgotten by the club's fans. The Senegalese striker joined the club in January of 2012 for £9.3 million after three prolific seasons with German club Freiburg, during which he scored 37 goals in 65 appearances.
Cisse scored an astonishing 13 goals in just 14 appearances in the second half of the 2011-12 campaign for Newcastle, leading the club to a fifth place finish in the Premier League. Many believed that Newcastle had finally found a No.9 that would be able to replace Andy Carroll who left the club to join Liverpool in 2011.
Papiss Cisse went on to score just 24 goals in 104 appearances for Newcastle in his following four seasons with the club. He was eventually sold to Chinese Super League team Shandong Luneng.