5 footballers who haven't progressed in the last few years the way they were expected to
It may seem that young footballers have it all. Having just crossed over into adolescence, they are on mammoth salaries doing just what they love on a daily basis, seemingly free of the worries and concerns that plague most their age.Granted, most of them go on to lead great careers and fulfill their potential but, on occasion, some fail to reach the level they were expected to and the media are quick to pounce. In the top leagues especially, a good performance at a young age can snatch the headlines and pressure mounts on the individual to emulate that standard in future games.As a result, they begin to lose confidence and that initial spark of genius evaporates.Here are five examples of players who have experienced exactly that and who have failed to progress the way they were expected to...
#1 Adnan Januzaj
One of the few positive aspects of David Moyes’ Manchester United tenure was the surprise emergence of Adnan Januzaj as a key attacking component at Old Trafford. The Belgian starlet bagged a brace in his first start for the Red Devils, racking up an impressive 35 appearances that same season, as well as earning a World Cup call-up the following year.
He was deemed to be United’s next big thing, but such a prediction was all but shattered by the arrivals of Angel Di Maria and Radamel Falcao in 2014, while LVG’s appointment as manager practically spelt the end of the now 20-year-old’s honeymoon phase.
The club seemed cautious of over-working a player who was in his early stages of development to a point where his motivation and determination melted away. Thomas Tuchel was critical of the Belgian’s desire to progress, following the forward’s recent loan spell at Dortmund, from which he has recently returned. It now seems that Januzaj’s best hope of a future in football is a string of cameo performances from the bench each season. A devastating reality.