5 most talented players who wasted their potential
Playing football at a professional level is no walk in the park. It takes an incredible amount of hard work, self-control, determination and tenacity. To play against the best in the business, one needs to have a certain amount of discipline.
Of course, playing football at the highest level also comes with a lot of money in terms of salary and other sources like sponsorship and endorsement deals. When someone has that kind of income, it is easy to lose a bit of focus. But staying focused is not impossible either.
Look at Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, for instance. Both players have been incredibly good for close to a decade and a half. They've also been two of the most popular sporting personalities on the planet. They are great examples of how greatness is achieved by keeping distractions at bay.
Without further ado, let's take a look at five footballers who wasted their talent.
#5 Adriano
The Nerazzurri lovingly called Adriano L’Imperatore (The Emperor). They were certain they had found the next big thing in Brazilian football and there was adequate evidence to substantiate the same.
He had all the skills in his kitty. Adriano was tall, quick and blessed with incredible dribbling abilities. He also packed a dynamite of a left-foot strike and was one of the most intimidating strikers around in the 2004-05 season. He scored 28 goals and provided five assists in 42 appearances across all competitions for Inter Milan that term.
Adriano's father, Almir, had played a huge role in helping him escape the poverty of his favela and become a professional footballer. His death in late 2004 saw Adriano lose his grip on life. He admitted that his dad's death began his downward spiral.
“My dad always supported me. He liked to watch me play.”
“Without him I started to drown all my problems in alcohol. I was drinking heavily and couldn’t not go out.”
Inter Milan weren't ready to give up on him just yet and despite the dwindling returns, he continued to be at the club until 2009. He then rescinded his contract and said he was quitting football at the age of 27. But he returned to Brazil and joined his former club Flamengo.
He played for AS Roma, Corinthians, Atletico Paranense and Miami United but never really hit the heights he was expected to when he first broke onto the scene.
#4 Anderson
In hindsight, it seems ironic that Anderson said this in 2011:
“If I want to I can be a great player.”
Going by the way his career spiraled following his successful stint with Manchester United, it certainly looks like Anderson just didn't want to. When Sir Alex Ferguson signed Anderson from Porto in 2007 for €19 million, he was a promising young midfield dynamo.
He had all the qualities to make it to the top but the Brazilian seemed unwilling to put too much work in. He started to get slated for his work ethic and intelligence both on and off the pitch.
Anderson spent eight years at Manchester United and left the club under Louis van Gaal. However, he had become a non-entity by then. He was a far cry from the player who played a starring role in Manchester United's Champions League triumph in the 2007-08 season.
Anderson had the skillset but his mentality did him in. After leaving United, he returned to Brazil with Internacional but he hadn't broken up with his habits even then. He announced his retirement in September 2020 at the age of 32 after a couple of seasons with TFF First League side Adana Demirspor.