Goal.com Weekend Special: Flop To Hit - Part I

The players are in no particular order.

1. Diego Forlan

Diego Forlan came from Independiente to Manchester United as a promising striker and was supposed to become a full-fledged star at Old Trafford. But what followed was an utter mess and a story of failure that even the most creative of scriptwriters would have failed to conjure up.

Two and a half years later, Forlan was shipped off to Spain, having scored just 17 goals in 95 appearances for United. But after five seasons in La Liga, the mega-Manchester United flop is now a 'Superman', forcing his way to Goal.com's La Liga Team of the Decade ahead of Raul, Samuel Eto'o and David Villa.

Diego Is A 'Superman'

In his very first season in the Spanish Primera Division, Forlan scored 25 goals for Villarreal helping them garner a first ever place in the Champions League and won the European Golden Boot jointly with Thierry Henry.

Forlan was signed by Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2007 and continued to bang in goals after goals, becoming the Pichichi in 2008-2009 and winning the European Golden Boot for the second time.

2. Juan Sebastian Veron

Juan Sebastian Veron was initially a hit, then became a flop - a joke actually- and turned into a hit again. Veron played alongside The Great Diego at Boca Juniors in his first spell in Argentina and soon came to Europe to conquer Italy. Veron established himself as one of the best midfielders in the Serie A and inspired Lazio to the scudetto triumph in 2000.

When Manchester United signed the Argentine international in 2002, it became the most expensive transfer in English football at the time. But Veron's time in England, first for United and then for Chelsea, was a blockbuster disaster as the Argentine became a joke. Even two subsequent seasons with Inter Milan couldn't restore his reputation.

Veron - Back To The Start

But three years in Argentina for his old club Estudiantes have made him great again. Veron might be 34 years old now but he is currently in his best form since his Man United days, winning the Apertura championship in 2006 and the Copa Libertadores in 2009 and earning a recall to the Argentine national side.

3. Juan Roman Riquelme

Juan Roman Riquelme arrived in Barcelona in 2002 with a big reputation. When he left Camp Nou after just one season his reputation was in tatters. Slow, often unreliable, temperamental and weak were the accusations against him.

Four years down the line for Villarreal and Riquelme had established himself as one of the best creative midfielders of all time. The most important piece in Villarreal’s jigsaw, Riquelme was the player most responsible for the Yellow Submarine's rise in Spain and in Europe as in their first season in the Champions League they reached the semi-finals.

Riquelme - The Enigmatic Genius

Riquelme's performance at the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany would be eternally remembered and although the 31-year-old fell out with Villarreal towards the end of his stay in Spain, he has since refurbished himself at his former club Boca Juniors.

4. Thierry Henry

Thierry Henry is one of the few chosen footballers who have won everything there is to be won in club and international football. He won the World Cup in 1998 and the European championship two years later with France, inspired Arsenal to two Premier League titles and three FA Cups and conquered Spain and Europe with Barcelona last season.

What If Arsenal Had Not Signed Henry.....

But the 31-year-old didn't always have a smooth ride and his career could have well assumed a different hue had Arsene Wenger not signed him in 1999. The French striker was then playing for Italian powerhouse Juventus but was playing on the wings and invariably wasting himself. But from the time he moved to Arsenal, the ‘flop’ became a superhit.

5. David Platt

David Platt started his footballing career at mighty Manchester United as he joined them as an apprentice in 1982. He impressed them to garner a professional contract at the start of the 1984-1985 season but in January 1985 was given a free transfer.

Platt did not lose heart and started rebuilding himself. He signed for Crewe Alexandre - then in the Fourth Division in England - but before long found himself playing for Aston Villa. An Italian adventure soon beckoned and Platt went onto play successfully for Bari, Juventus and Sampdoria, winning the UEFA Cup with Juventus and the Coppa Italia with Sampdoria.

A Rare Gem

Platt later won the Premier League with Arsenal and is fondly remembered for his performance at the 1990 World Cup finals for England. Another Manchester United ‘rejectee’ (of sorts) taking the world by storm.

6. Eric Cantona

Eric Cantona is a Manchester United and Premier League legend but when he first came to England not everyone was convinced of his abilities. Initially, then Liverpool manager Graeme Souness declined the offer to sign the Frenchman.

Anyone There Who Doesn't Recognize This Man?

Cantona went for a two-week trial with Sheffield Wednesday but apparently wasn't entirely convincing. He was offered a trial extension but Cantona refused and after playing for Leeds United for a while was signed by Manchester United. Whatever happened next is scripted in the history books.

7. Andrea Pirlo

At the turn of the century Andrea Pirlo's career was heading nowhere. Playing as a ‘trequartista’ for Inter Milan, the Italian appeared to produce very little and was even offloaded to Reggina and Brescia on separate occasions for temporary periods.

Pirlo - Flop At Inter, Hit At Milan

Then along came Carlo Ancelotti and at Inter's city-rivals AC Milan turned Pirlo into a deep-lying playmaker, and the result was the scudetto in 2004 and the Champions League in 2003 and 2007. Pirlo is now one of the most effective and creative midfielders in world football but once upon a time at Inter he was a flop.

8. Cafu

Two times World Cup winner with Brazil, winner of the Champions League and the Serie A with Milan and a true legend of the game, Cafu is known throughout the world as one of the best right-backs of all time. But the Brazilian's start in football wasn't a blockbuster one as initially in his youth he was considered a 'flop'.

Was He Really Rejected By Four Clubs!?

In the 1980s Cafu went for trials at Corinthians, Palmeiras, Santos and Atletico Mineiro but was rejected by all of them. Eventually it was Sao Paulo who took him in and what happened subsequently is history.

9. Peter Beardsley

Peter Beardsley might have thought that starting his football career at his hometown club of Newcastle United wouldn't be too difficult but when they rejected him when he was in his teens, he must have realized that it wasn't going to be too easy either.

Rejected But Not Dejected

Beardsley then went to Carlisle United and soon moved to Manchester United, only to be released inside six months. But Beardsley eventually went onto play for Newcastle in two different spells and also had a successful time with Liverpool.

10. Samuel Eto'o

Real Madrid drafted in Samuel Eto'o as a teenager and the Cameroonian was expected to make it through to the first team before long. But Eto'o couldn't make it for one reason or the other and was consistently ignored, eventually getting offloaded to Spanish also-ran Real Mallorca.

The Face Of Iker's Nightmare

After two seasons on loan at Mallorca, Eto'o was signed by the club on a permanent basis and went onto establish himself as a legend for the Barralets. The Cameroonian international then spent five seasons at Barcelona, Madrid's bitter rivals, and won the Spanish league thrice and the Champions League twice - scoring in both the finals.

Subhankar Mondal