5 football icons with no top division league titles
Success comes in many forms but for a footballer, the ultimate achievement of winning trophies arguably trumps everything else. Clubs win cups and league titles. The drama of the cup win and a glinting addition to the trophy cabinet is considered special but the true measurement of how good a side is the league title.
The league requires a tremendous amount of consistency and the best players of all time almost always are a part of sides that challenge for the league titles. In fact, most Internationally known players star or at least are a part of league winning teams. The best players of the division are in the best club. For instance, in this year's Premier League, Harry Kane, Sergio Aguero, David Silva, Romelu Lukaku and Eden Hazard are all playing for teams that are challenging for the top division.
Sometimes even the best individually gifted players fail at the final hurdle or don't come close at all for a variety of reasons. Many notable legends go without winning a major trophy all their lives and in this list, we look at some of the most reputable players who unfortunately never got to lay their hands on a Top Division title through the entirety of their careers.
#5 Fernando Torres
The 33-year-old is no longer considered prime property in football. He makes this list because he is unmistakably a Liverpool icon and an Atletico Madrid fan-favourite, having become the captain of Los Rojiblancos at the age of nineteen.
Linked with a move to the Premier League three transfer windows in a row, Torres finally left Spain for England in 2007. He was nothing short of sensational at Merseyside. In three and half seasons at Liverpool, he finished the club's top scorer twice and moved in a British record fee (at the time) to Chelsea a few years ago.
Torres' misfortune and lack of confidence hampered his progress at Chelsea, but manager after manager kept providing him with the opportunities to prove himself.
But that misfortune is not what we are here to talk about. In 2005, Liverpool had marked a legendary come from behind Champions League win. In 2007, the season before Torres joined Liverpool, the club reached the Champions League final once again, this time losing to Milan.
Torres was brought in to bolster their chances of winning again. But the club reached the semi-finals and stumbled. In 2008/09, Torres and Gerrard were lethal in front of goal and fired Liverpool to 86 points, but it wasn't enough as Manchester United showed no signs of slowing down that year.
Chelsea had won the 2009/10 league title and when Torres joined the club, they did not challenge for the top four spot three seasons in a row, though they did finally end their long wait for the Champions League title.
He left in 2013-14 on loan to Milan and was soon shipped off to Atletico with Chelsea on their way to a league title and Atletico defending their crown. Since he joined the club, the Madrid side have failed to challenge for title! Talk about unfortunate!