There’s no doubting Mesut Ozil’s quality. You don’t win 81 caps and a World Cup for Germany, a La Liga title with Real Madrid and collect two FA Cup winner’s medals with Arsenal by riding on the coattails of others. However, a criticism of that nature is frequently thrown at Ozil. His languid style leads to cries of having gone AWOL during big matches — particularly during his time with Arsenal.
Potential is defined as the latent qualities or abilities that may be developed and lead to future success or usefulness.
Kevin De Bruyne is the cover boy of Potential Illustrated, the long-running theoretical magazine that is littered with pages of soccer players that just didn’t make it.
There are millions of both aimless and worthwhile reasons for why some players just never figure it out. Talent, oddly enough, usually goes hand in hand with prospective failure.
When Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers signed Scott Sinclair from Aston Villa during the summer transfer window, the winger was a known quantity to the bench boss. . .but few others.
Christian Pulisic will eventually be crowned the USMNT’s best player ever.
This hot take is backed with circumstantial evidence in the form of raw talent, technical superiority and a nurturing environment for tactical growth.
Andre-Pierre Gignac burst onto footballing radars everywhere by finishing the 2008-09 French Ligue 1 season as the top goalscorer. At the time, the young Frenchman was reportedly drawing interest from clubs like Arsenal, Manchester United and Juventus.
Fast forward seven years and the now 30-year-old Gignac plays his club football with Tigres in Monterrey, Mexico. Is this a story of lost talent, a young player who achieved too much, too fast? Hardly.
The mistakes of the past are an integral part of our composition. Our future will be determined by a wide breadth of experiences and backgrounds — a collection of dissenting narratives that don’t necessarily follow the status quo. Either we allow the perspectives of the minority to illuminate the harsh truths hindering our game, or we remain insular, weakened and stagnant.
Sebastian ‘El Loco’ Abreu, who is 39 years old, began his pro career 22 years ago, in 1994. Abreu’s towering height initially had him practicing basketball until he was 18 years old. However, problems with coaches and an increased interest in football saw him dedicate himself to the world’s game.
Abreu was also extremely interested in journalism, once interviewing himself for a local newspaper.
When I was told to write a profile of Dutch footballer Anouk Hoogendijk, a defender for Ajax’s women's team, that emphasized why people would like her, I thought: impossible.
She doesn’t know her place. She has won the Dutch women’s league twice with Saestum, the Dutch cup once with FC Utrecht, and the FA cup once with the Arsenal Ladies.
Before they were playing in front of thousands of adoring supporters, before they earned the multi-million dollar contracts and endorsements, world famous footballers were just awkward teens like anyone else at that stage in life.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Neymar, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and David Beckham are all world renowned for their skills on the pitch. As often as we like to delve into what made them footballing greats, their embarrassing pubescent years remained largely a mystery.
Until now. Check out the video and fun facts below.
37-year-old Eidur Gudjohnsen will be making his international swan song for Iceland at Euro 2016. The attacking player from Reykjavik is certainly the most famous footballer to have come from Iceland. He scored 54 goals over six illustrious seasons with Chelsea. He spent three seasons with Barcelona, capturing a La Liga, Copa del Rey and Champions League treble in 2008-09.