XI at 11: Biggest falls from grace
by Tom Adams, 04 July 2008
The news that former Barcelona winger Geovanni could be joining Hull City has shocked us at setantasports.com. So much so indeed that in our rattled state, we have cobbled together an XI at 11 of football’s biggest falls from grace.
From the bright lights to playing in front of two men and a dog, we chart the most dramatic descents since Leonardo Di Caprio and Kate Winslet had to abandon their erotic sketching session for a quick dip in the Atlantic.
Do you agree with our non-exhaustive list? Let us know using the feedback form at the bottom of the page.
1. Socrates
After skippering Brazil in no less than two World Cups, 1982 and 1986, the deep-thinking, chain-smoking maverick could have enjoyed his retirement in his home country, chugging down a beloved beer on Rio’s beaches. Somehow though, at the age of 50, he was recruited by Garforth Town of the North East Counties League, much to the chagrin of opponents Tadcaster Albion, whose manager Jim Collis said in response: "If he plays central midfield, I've got two lads in there and whoever is nearest will pick him up. Dave Waddington is the hardest - he works as a floor tiler with his dad in York.”
2. George Best
At his, erm, best, the former Manchester United star was the globe’s finest player and in 1968 he proved as much by helping The Red Devils to victory in the European Cup and winning European Footballer of the Year. His personal demons were never far from the surface though and he quit United, aged just 26, in 1972. Eleven years later he appeared for Third Division Bournemouth, making just four appearances for The Cherries before his retirement.
3. Luke Chadwick
Not often mentioned in the same breath as Best, and not least because his uncanny resemblance to Plug from the Bash Street Kids prevents him from attaining the same kind of legendary swordsman status – after all, can you picture Chadders with a string of Miss Worlds? Tipped for big things when rising through the ranks at Old Trafford, his career quickly went downhill and the midfielder can now be found at Norwich, where he has made nine starts in 18 months.
4. Paul Gascoigne
Gazza’s sad story is all too familiar to an English audience. Hailed as one of Europe’s brightest stars after the 1990 World Cup, the endearing Geordie helped Spurs to FA Cup glory in 1991 and, after serious injury delayed a move to Lazio, also enjoyed a successful spell at Rangers. Like Best before him though, off the field problems haunted him and his career finished with brief spells at Burnley and Boston United before his personal troubles became tabloid fodder.
5. Michael Ricketts
Displaying the kind of nous that made him such a roaring success as England manager, Steve McClaren shelled out £3.5 million to bring the striker to Middlesbrough in January 2003. In fairness he had won a solitary England cap after impressing with Bolton, but Ricketts was never a top-rate player and to prove the point, in the five-and-a-half years and eight clubs following his move to Boro, he has a cumulative tally of only 16 league strikes.
6. Christopher Wreh
Has any other player gone from FA Cup winner to playing for Bishop’s Stortford in less than five years? The Liberia international retains a fond place in Arsenal fans’ hearts after actually playing an important role in the 1998 double triumph as he scored crucial goals in the league run-in and started in the victory over Newcastle at Wembley. A rapid decline soon followed though, with stops at AEK Athens, Birmingham, Den Bosch, Al-Hilal, St Mirren, Bishop’s Stortford, Buckingham Town and Indonesian outfit Perseman Manokwari bringing an inglorious end to his career. Now touring with his band Soul Rebels.
7. Danny Cadamarteri
Hailed as Everton’s answer to Michael Owen when bursting onto the scene in 1997, it gradually became apparent Mr Cadamarteri was more in the Sean Dundee mould. Five goals in the first nine games of the 1997-1998 season promised great things for the young striker but his plunge through the leagues took in spells at Bradford, Grays Athletic, Doncaster and, now, Huddersfield. Failing a drugs test in 2006 didn’t help of course.
8. Andriy Shevchenko
The striker who took Europe by storm with Dynamo Kiev in the late 1990s and then won the European Footballer of the Year trophy with Milan has been a shadow of his former self at Chelsea. Sheva only once failed to reach double figures in seven years in Serie A but has scored just nine league goals in two seasons in The Premier League. From the sublime to the ridiculous.
9. Sergei Rebrov
Shevchenko’s partner in crime at Dynamo was viewed by many observers as the better of the two Ukrainian stars but during his time at Tottenham, Rebrov even drew unfavourable comparisons with Steffen Iversen. He was the North London club’s record signing at £11 million but managed to score just ten league goals in two seasons before moving on, with the jeers of a nation ringing in his ears.
10. Fabrizio Ravanelli
The White Feather won Serie A and the Champions League with Juventus and his spell with Middlesbrough was explosive, if not as trophy-laden. A hat-trick on debut and 31 goals in his first season made him a firm fans’ favourite. However, his time at Derby was less successful and the former Italy international then made six appearances for Dundee in the 2003-2004 season to end his career in Britain on something of a low.
11. (The Real) Ronaldo
Undoubtedly one of the greatest talents of his generation, Luiz Nazario de Lima is the top scorer in World Cup history and wowed fans the world over with his prolific spells at Cruzeiro, PSV Eindhoven, Barcelona, Inter (intermittently), and Real Madrid. A move to Milan in January 2007 proved disastrous though as he suffered another in a long list of serious injuries and is currently a free agent. Last seen kicking three prostitutes out of a hotel room after discovering they were transvestites, not the behaviour befitting of a three time World Player of the Year.