5 Footballers who would have been even better without injuries
Football is a game that comes with a cost. The physical nature of the sport makes it very hard for players to stay away from injuries through the course of their careers. Apart from keeping the player out of the game for a while, injuries also break the head of steam that players generate with their performances.
While injuries are a part and parcel of any sport and especially football, there are players who haven’t had the rub of the green in terms of injuries. Through the course of this article, we would look at 5 such players who were talented and achieved a lot of success, yet were held back due to their constant injury concerns.
Though a little hypothetical, it seems scary what these footballers could’ve gone on to achieve had they not been brought down by injury time and again. Without wasting any more time, let us go down memory lane and look at these unlucky footballers who epitomize the adage ‘what if’ more than anyone else.
Honourable Mention: Marco Reus
#5 Jack Wilshere
Jack Wilshere, the boy who shot to prominence as a teenager has had a wretched run with injuries. In his time at Arsenal, Wilshere had numerous injuries which stunted his growth and made him a perfect example of a player with vast unlocked potential.
Wilshere’s biggest and brightest career moment came in the Champions League in 2011 when as a 19-year-old, he bossed the midfield against Barcelona. The midfield he outplayed contained stalwarts like Xavi and Iniesta yet he held his own and gave the English fans something to shout about.
After his breakthrough performance, a similar buzz to when Rooney broke onto the scene was created. In Wilshere, the English thought that they had the perfect midfielder to lead their newest generation to unparalleled success. However, 7 years on, Wilshere is still struggling with injuries and failed to make England’s squad for the 2018 World Cup.
As a teenager, Wilshere promised so much. He was famously dubbed as a ‘boy with an English heart and Spanish feet’. However, injuries had much more of a say in his career than he would’ve liked, leading him to spend more time on the treatment table than on the pitch.
The loss of a talent like Wilshere makes the whole world admonish the cruel nature of injuries. As we analyze his career in 2018, there is a sense of ‘what could’ve been’ for Wilshere had he not gotten injured so often. Thus, he ranks at No.5 in our list.