The 7 Most UNEXPECTED Downfalls In Football

[@RefnRes]

The most unexpected downfall of a keeper to me was Edouard Mendy. He won UEFA and FIFA goalkeeper of the year and then almost immediately dropped off a cliff. He got injured but then when he did play it looked like his confidence had completely evaporated. Then it wasn't long before he was shipped off to the Saudis. Edit to add: Stephen Caulker also had a very unexpected downfall. There was a point where he was looking like he could become the next really top level CB eventually but then he went from Liverpool to obscurity in Scotland.

[@kostaurus]

I've read an interview of Caulker's where he talked about getting heavily addicted to gambling and alcohol, and falling into a depression to the point of actually being suicidal. Really heavy stuff. Happy to see that he's doing much better these days though, seems like a decent lad.

[@giodhuha6771]

And now caulker is stuck with Sierra Leone.

[@Ldoggmillionaire]

Mendy benefitted from keeping a lot of clean sheets in a really good defensive system boosting his reputation rather than being majorly reliable himself. Sort of reina at Liverpool or hart at city type vibe were they were never the best keeper as such but would keep a lot of clean sheets

[@RickyPro888]

@@Ldoggmillionaire in fairness Hart rarely had a brilliant back four in front of him. His shot stopping was always solid, just distribution lacked

[@vaffangool9196]

That's an understatement mate, his distribution makes Turkish Post look competent.

[@Caraviaggio]

GK's job is so hard, you could do a video only on "7 goalkeepers who fell apart after a game and never recovered" and it could have 5 parts

[@MartialFitness656]

Butland did get an injury though? During an England warm up game and was never the same coming back

[@jesuisunstroopwafel]

Loris Karius joined the chat.

[@rcastrovexler2]

Karius is the first name that came to my mind

[@CreazyPeazy]

you can play excellent for a whole season and mess up one match and this match is what you will be remembered....

[@dereste988]

Robert Enke, clearly number one in that one

[@jostaniforth7407]

Genuinely feel for Ali. Horrible childhood, abusive father, ended up living with a secondary school friend as a teenager. The man needed an arm around him. He’d have been a different player under Ferguson. Hope he gets a club soon.

[@Evemeister12]

Ferguson couldn't reform ravel Morrison. No guarantee he'd have saved dele alli.

[@jostaniforth7407]

@@Evemeister12 Morrison was an aggressive basket case with terrible people around him. Ali is inwardly troubled. I saw Morrison at the PFA sessions for free against the other day.

[@carlosbarton763]

For years I saw all those attacks from fans on social media towards Alli about how 'lazy', and 'passionless' he was, 'he only plays for money' etc. and I got pretty frustrated about it because while there was little hard evidence at that point, I knew there was something deeper going on with Alli. The complete lack of empathy was so disappointing. You're right, I think a Fergie or Ancelotti type of manager would've been a godsend for Dele

[@waynewoz]

All though I agree with you because he did have a hard life but he did the hard bit becoming a professional premier league player he has doctors and shrinks around him and he should have taken 6 months of or maybe even a season and got the help he needed because financially he could afford it and tried to sort it out. I have had a crap life but I carnt take time of for help because I would lose my house so got to keep on going and put my family first. I'm really not putting him down because I do know what it's like but just wish he would have asked for help and maybe took some time of before it got that bad.

[@kiriakoz]

@@jostaniforth7407 they both have troubled upbringings (in different ways), the way they react outwardly is because of that. Not sure why you're keen to pretend Raval and Alli are so massively different cases to make a weak point.

[@cameronadams1242]

Going from Premier League to 2nd Division in India is absolutely diabolical 😭

[@Thomas-jl8xr]

Stories of the likes of Hazard give me more and more admiration for Robben who’s stayed at world class level for a decade while being the 2nd most injured player of all time

[@Hyde_Hill]

Who's the first? In the Netherlands we called him the Man of Glass. Wilshere?

[@Thomas-jl8xr]

@@Hyde_Hill diaby

[@DenGuleBalje]

​@@Hyde_HillVegard Heggem💔

[@harrymufc6227]

In hindsight, Sanchez’s decline was sort of apparent, his last half season at Arsenal was really, really bad. We all deluded ourselves into assuming he was mentally checked out of Arsenal by then but sadly not

[@oisin5684]

"The first training I had I realised many things. I went home, and I told my representative: 'Can't the contract be terminated to return to Arsenal?' -Alexis Sanchez 😆

[@Luka-st4uf]

Yeah his fall off is only drastic to non-Arsenal fans. His playstyle depended heavily on his athleticism and energy. Don't get me wrong, he was immensely skillfull but what made him world class is that extra step he had on everyone else. At the time he left Arsenal he was approaching 30 with having no break in the summer for like 4-5 years due to international tournaments. I loved the guy and didn't even blame him for wanting to leave, but his drop off was predictable, although it probably did go as bad as it possibly could.

[@chibifirestorm]

@@Luka-st4uf he's also been playing professional since he was 15, he was always going to fall off earlier

[@HHHBFResurrected]

@@Luka-st4uf Was the same with Costa and (smart) Chelsea fans. Yes he was a warrior, yes he was a workhorse & yes he knew where the goal was, but technically he was absolutely bang average! Once he started showing his age & his incredible sheer force of will left with it, he was destined for a HUGE drop off in performance.

[@Farid-ko6yn]

These just depict how brutal modern football can be. You need a lot of things going well for you, and you will fail if only one thing goes wrong. You can be the most hard-working, and the most talented, but you have no place at the highest level of football if you're unlucky with an untimely or severe injury, or you simply make a wrong decision.

[@MAVJ]

That's spot on. I think one of the toughest things to learn about life is how much "luck" really correlates to success.

[@T.E.S.S.]

yeah, the role that luck plays is underestimated

[@maciejbala477]

Not modern football, football in general. But I guess it is probably more likely now, since you can get benched easier, before teams had like 3 players outside of the starting eleven

[@maciejbala477]

@@MAVJ Yeah. And I think "potential" is such a nebulous concept as well. Or where good form turns into genuine skill level. I think a lot more is about luck and mental state than we like to usually admit, at least when judging footballers.

[@eavyeavy2864]

On other side, burden who do all bad thing still get picked due to his fanboys

[@AK-vv8ii]

Really expected Coutinho on this list

[@alessandrovigano8149]

Still somehow on villa's books. Shows what a disaster Gerrard was

[@Simsim...]

"Without further Adu" is exactly what I needed, thank you.

[@Cicero82]

That’s why I’m here…

[@KT_P_James]

Love the videos, Alfie. Would you consider adding timestamps to this kind of list style video for each individual player?

[@thehappyone23]

"...but was mad as a box of frogs on acid listening to The Happy Mondays, and didn't know how to put a bib on."...Alfie with the Factory band references!

[@t4l3nt]

paul ryder is my dad, definitely caught me off guard haha

[@kilonzok7803]

I’m still stuck at “losing virginity to a goat” 😖

[@daithimcnally8212]

Can't belive Garincha fucked Messi

[@x92Vendetta]

Sounds messi

[@MrSmith1984]

Trust me, you really don't want to find out more about the sexual life of Garrincha.

[@vickz84259]

I'm also still on that point.. Alfie needs to expound a little bit more...

[@gunders85]

In north Colombia many lose their virginity to donkeys, taking what they have when the catholic girls their age save themselves for marriage. Could be something similar

[@theangrykbdist]

He thought we wouldnt notice him sneaking hull city into the category of European giants 18:00

[@ThatGuyHelm]

Sneaking? He's completely correct

[@RandomLad1383]

Ben arfa was lucky a club of such high standards like hull city even considered him

[@AntoniusTyas]

Holy shit Gaizka Mendieta that is a name I have not heard for a very long while. Was Valencia's talisman back then.

[@GorgeDawes]

He had a phenomenal penalty technique as well, never used to look at the ball at all but would give the keeper the eyes and roll it into the opposite corner.

[@bricktop.]

We adored him at Middlesbrough, an absolutely wonderful gifted footballer

[@tuhin1264]

Dele ali's peak was somewhere between Cole and Jude. Scoring 20+ goals in leagues like Cole palmer and Scoring for England like Jude.

[@nevenpatrk9661]

I've got to say if this Galatasaray loan doesn't work out, I can definitely see Victor Osimhen ending up on a list like this.

[@CallumWatson-p2l]

I can see it happening too

[@BL4CK0UT17]

And Moise Keane.

[@TheKalaxis]

It still does feel real that my club (The Boro) managed to sign Mendieta and yet at one point we had Mendieta, Zenden and Juninho in our midfield. Wild times.

[@TheKalaxis]

*Doesn't*

[@Hyde_Hill]

@@TheKalaxis And Boateng. Underrated player.

[@TheShizz011]

I met Jake Livermore a few years back and he was a complete gentleman, I made sure to thank him for the great hull city premier League memories

[@vinceely2906]

He never wanted to leave Spurs for anyone. So he was always miffed that they were happy to sell him.

[@louisjagger2177]

As a Charlton fan I feel it'd be remiss to not mention our greatest ever signing (Allan Simonsen) as a fairly stark downfall. European Footballer Of The Year aged 25 to the Second Division aged 29 is pretty remarkable

[@adivhahomathivha1881]

HITC Sevens should pay some form of royalties. "Without Freddy Adu" practically a full time fixture of the channel

[@Timsmith13911]

Without further Adu not without Freddy Adu

[@hiranom20]

I don't mean to be a nazi here, but some people's reading and listening comprehension on the internet are rather alarming. ​@@Timsmith13911

[@proudcelt13]

The disrespect for Joe Hart's time and career revival at Celtic is appalling

[@adnankassem8114]

The Hazard downfall really surprised me. I didnt know about his bad training/diet habits. It was a really epic downfall.

[@Edelweiss1102]

As a Madrid fan it was really hard to watch. He was a player we admired and longed for for years, then he finally came and everything fell appart nearly instantely. I will say however that I feel like the brutal foul of Meunier against him in the fall of 2019 is often underplayed. He had an awful start at Madrid, but he actually started to regain some traction in the fall of 2019 and had his best stint at real. Then Meunier ruined his ankle and he was never the same after, with that being the droplet that brought down the whole damm and finally lead to Hazards poor trainig/diet catch on to him.

[@anelkokozaric6333]

0:43 Garrincha lost his WHAT to a WHAT 💀💀💀

[@Montycat78]

Virginity Goat

[@alanrobert3098]

Ooh this one stings... Mendieta was awesome for us, helping our league Cup and Euros runs, and I believe he still owns a house near Middlesbrough. We may have sucked for a solid decade and a bit, now, but back then we were a solid side working on a modest budget. The other painful one was Butland: when I was in hospital the other Christmas, he, Darren Fletcher, Sam Clucas and Charlie Adams had lunch with us on the ward having visited the kids. Had a good chat with them, really cheered everyone up.

[@bricktop.]

I'm cautiously optimistic for our Boro this season, IF Carrick can get these players firing and somehow gets us up, the REAL issue is what the hell do we do then????? Gibbo will be up against teams literally owned by countries. Theres no way he can compete financially. Even with the TV money etc. UTB

[@christophernicolson5086]

He lived in Yarm i believe for years after leaving Middlesbrough. Not sure if he still does though.

[@Veaseify]

@@bricktop. I was going to say that he is on a par with Tony Bloom at Brighton so it isn't impossible to do well without vast resources...then I found out Bloom is worth twice as much as Gibson so Boro might want to look at minority investors to boost the coffers.

[@rydawg26]

Yall see San Marino win their first ever oficial match

[@andrews5069]

What is surprising though is that all players from the Red Star team that won the Champions Cupnone of them made anything remarkable in their career after the Champions Cup win.

[@gbekeloluwaiyun4755]

Just like Ajax 2019

[@kostaurus]

Tbf that's not really true. Savićević and Jugović went on to have brilliant careers and won shitloads with Milan and Juve afterwards, and Prosinečki while not really dominating at least ended up playing for both Real Madrid and Barca

[@andrasszabo1570]

@@kostaurus If you weren't a contrarian, you'd realise that Savicevic played less than half of the matches at Milan, a lot of the times not even making the substitutes' bench, Jugovic bounced around from club to club and started being a squad player at only age 28, and Prosinecki was far too injury-prone to have any type of career that his technical skills and creativity would have predestined him. It was the same in my country, we also had world-class players. But the lack of professionalism is coded into one-party authoritarian states, which hurt their career as well.

[@Evemeister12]

Sinisa Mihajlovic

[@andrews5069]

@@Evemeister12 yes that was the exception

[@tonyx8862]

On cancelo, Barcelona wanted to keep him, his attitude and character were great there. It was all about the financials

[@cgopie1]

There are some former Liverpool players who could have made this list, like Coutinho, Mane, Ibe, Brewster, Wijnaldum, Torres & Origi. Out of the ones mentioned, I'd say Ibe should have had a decent shout of making the list. Of course he wasn't a world beater, but he was a very talented player who is now at Ebbsfleet Utd at the age of 28. Since the start of 2019-20 season, he has only played a total of 8 games, and no mention of any serious physical injuries, though he has said he is suffering from severe depression.

[@ashtongodfrin6999]

It is interesting how lots of Liverpool's world beaters over the years saw their careers fall off a cliff after leaving. Though in the cases of Brewster, Coutinho, and Torres, I think they're pretty explainable. Brewster was shipped to Sheffield United for a club record fee in spite of the fact that he had never played Premier League football before, so anyone willing to pay that much money for him was surely aware of the risk. Coutinho was wanting to leave Liverpool for quite some time, but the fact that Barcelona payed £125 million for him when he was at least 3 years past his prime was always going to be risky business since they had just sold Neymar. And Fernando Torres was also about 3 years past his peak when Chelsea agreed to buy him for £50 million back in 2011 which was an astonishing amount of money.

[@thabocollinsekwe4932]

This video is a reminder that football even for the top players is sometimes harsh. I just read a story of Raphina (the Brazilian who plays for Barcelona) talking about his struggles and almost wanting to quit football. Saying he even went to bed almost crying.

[@scottmccoy432]

i will always love alexis sanchez, i know he left us but i’ll never be mad at a player taking a paycheck like that. he would have been silly to decline.

[@oisin5684]

"The first training I had I realised many things. I went home, and I told my representative: 'Can't the contract be terminated to return to Arsenal?' -Alexis Sanchez 😆

[@testadalord01432]

As shown by the quote by Alexis, all United could offer him was cash. He was better off staying.

[@troy8613]

Spot on! Plus Arsenal were stupidity by letting their best players contract down to 1 year while only offering him 160k a week when he was asking for 250k.

[@MartijnterHaar]

I feel like this is an Eredivisie in general and Ajax in particular special. With its relatively low pace and lax defending some players thrive there, make a transfer to a tougher, faster paced league and never recover from the shock. Of course, to make the transfer the players have to show their talent in their European matches too, but it is probably easier to step up for a big match every few weeks when you are riding high, than for Stoke or Getafe away when you are in mid table.

[@georgegreen5791]

One of your best videos mate. Not only the usual seven (which are always incisive and thoughtful) but the whole thought that ends up with a conclusion. Love from an old fan here

[@mclew1234]

I wouldn't say that Ramsdale has a fall downfall, its just the life of the goal keeper, there is only 20 jobs in the EPL & for a spot to open up you need someone to get injured or to be playing so horrendously bad that they are willing to replace them. Its the equivalent of QB in the NFL, you can be a good starter but get injured at the wrong time & never get the job back if the guy who comes in does the job just as well as you & often on a cheaper contract. With this then when you aren't playing every week you almost become out of sight out of mind

[@yusufkassim8236]

I like this new midday schedule you have going on, Alfie!

[@wander_boi69]

I think the message at the end of this video is a very good one to spread. We think we know some people because of how much time we spent exposed to them, but we really don't. Some people find a way to ride out a positive facade whilst dealing with deeply personal and troubling issues under, and eventually it takes its toll. Not just for footballers, but for all people.

[@sumandark8600]

To add on to what you were saying about Dele Alli, he had also played 130 professional games before he turned 20 That's a lot of strain on a young body & it tends to mean players' bodies break down more quickly as a result, leading to earlier physical declines

[@holnrew]

That's a lot of mental pressure too. He must have been emotionally exhausted

[@Veaseify]

Joe Harts career went into a 'terminal death spiral' - apart from winning a shedload of trophies at Celtic of course....and yes, they do count. Also, David De Gea has only been without a club because of his ridiculous wage demands and not wanting to play in Saudi.

[@suitcase_carwash]

The standard of Scottish football is atrocious. Only European competion trophies are worthwhile there

[@pccloud9657]

I would add Kevin Kuranyi to the list. From being part of Schalkes golden generation and fighting on even footing for Germany number 9 with Miroslav Klose and Mario Gomez to being banned from the national team by Löw and shipped off to play the rest of his career in Russia.

[@c1obme792]

I haven’t heard that name in Yearssss. What a throwback Baller

[@cameronadams1242]

Even looking back at Joao Cancelo's career i would've never thought that he would be in Saudi by 30 I'll never forget how dominant city were early Pep Guardiola when they use to beat teams 5,6-0 and Cancelo played a big part in it. People use to praise him for being so versatile that he could play both LB and RB. Was part of the PFA team of the season twice while also being in the ESM team of the year (with the likes of Mbappe and Messi) twice, not to mention also being part of the FIFA Pro11. The same player that before City was at Juventus and Inter also being in the Seria A team of the seasons in both years. Was still crucial for Barcelona in making the UCL quarterfinals. I knew that Pep playing and preferring Ake in the left back role would've affected Cancelo's career but not this much. I still believe he would be one of the best fullbacks in Europe if he stayed but unfortunately he left. For anyone who wants to know how legendary his career would've been: Joao Cancelo was two league titles(La liga & Ligue 1) away from being the only player in history to win every league title in the top 5 leagues

[@Boo1023Boo]

Joe Hart as a mention is both very true and incredibly harsh at the same time. Harsh as his last three years have made him a Celtic cult hero. But, again, not absurd that he’s worth a mention at all.

[@davidpyott3710]

Joe Hart is probably the only City player I like He seems like a good dude.

[@ottoausdemsee3192]

that last bit is so real... let's be honest HITC makes a living and we consume content centered around real people... and there wins and loses on and off the pitch.... A vid on players that got roasted by the press and social when they were just going threw life shit like we all do. Would be fire. He touches on it but the expectation that because they "GET" to play, so they should be a certain way is crazy. bro str8 saying he lambasted a dude without context is so solid!! still best footy utuber!

[@timshaw9525]

Unlike you you to miss such an obvious fact. Jack Butland sustained a very serious injury whist on England duty - ankle I think - and was never the same player again.

[@mirkokraovac9068]

Most of the honorable mentions you list at the end are players who lost it around 29-30 or later, that’s why Sheva and Fernando Torres who fell on Chelsea sword are still considered superstar, exceptional players. The 7 in the list are truly sad stories, with lost fortunes and careers. Definitely a correct list

[@thejudge-kv2jk]

I think Celtic fans might have something to say about Hart. Bit of a swansong.

[@cows543]

“Yes, that is Bill Gates” is the funniest thing I’ve seen in an HITC Sevens video. Especially because I was staring a the photo thinking “wow is that really Bill Gates?” Right before it popped up 😂

[@jvillanueva2978]

Arda Turan to barca will always confuse me. His style didnt match the team and idk why everyone involved wanted it to happen.

[@thevenbede767]

The cancelo one has to be financial because right back has been a position we needed replacing since we lost Alves

[@mrlewin5134]

Kounde is arguably the best rb in the world rn

[@thevenbede767]

@@mrlewin5134 he doesn't like playing rb and is naturally a cb

[@lewisdavis149]

@@thevenbede767he’s better at rb

[@otto_jk]

Juve would have also taken him but Cancelo wanted the big salary from the Saudis

[@maciejbala477]

I mean, yeah, Barcelona makes a ton of loan with option to buy kinda offers, only to never buy them because they can't afford it, so not surprised. But also saw some Barcelona fans not being all that hot about Cancelo, who did have some terrible games

[@MrSmith1984]

Arda Tuan and Diego Simeone got along with each other probably because they where the same kind of footballer. Which probably explains why Turan has flopped since joining Barcelona.

[@stevendaly4640]

Thank you for the comments at the end on mental health. We keep our troubles hidden a lot of the time, and what people see is not what is really happening. Both Ali and Livermore are perfect examples of why we should not be judging people. We tend to forget people are, well, people sometimes. Ali speaking out about his mental health struggles make him on my favourite players, just for that reason. I wish we could foster an environment where people do feel able to come forward and talk about these things.

[@chaconinternacional]

I'm still shocked by how fast Jackson Martinez's downfall was. He was truly a monster at Porto, 6 bad months with Atleti and he got shipped to China, never to return

[@spookyghost7524]

David Bentley

[@iandoddsblah]

It all went downhill after he left Big Sam's Blackburn free for all and had to actually act like a professional! He was class for us (Rovers) though!

[@maciejbala477]

what video is it again where Alfie randomly intersperses clips from Bentley's bar in Spain?

[@iandoddsblah]

@@maciejbala477 oooooh my god.. one of the ones about transfers that go bad?

[@YesOkayButWhy]

In light of other comments here, I don't even notice that "the list hasn't started". Silent majority loves the meanering intros, don't ever change them.

[@grayshigami6797]

Victor Osimhen, he was coveted by many of the big clubs in Europe and forced a move but demanded a wage so high that no one wanted him and he had to join Galatasaray

[@JJJackson777]

how much was he demanding?

[@grayshigami6797]

@@JJJackson777 Liverpool were interested but he wanted to earn more than Salah

[@GrimReaper-er8uu]

which is the bigger fall off - Toney to saudi or osimhen to turkey lol

[@grayshigami6797]

@@GrimReaper-er8uu Definetly Osimhen, he was younger and better

[@Lgx-ie4if]

Its not that no one wanted him we just wasn’t registered at napoli and the transfer window closed so he has to go on loan to gala until January, thats it

[@jackthrower2540]

John Bostock should be on this list. Guy had the world at his feet at Palace, went to the ham for the money and his career nosedived!

[@rossomac21]

Standard intro for a KZbin football vide... 0:44 ... hang on, he lost his virginity to what? 🤣

[@abioticflyer63]

You forgot to mention Niran 😂😂

[@jpwaitforit5801]

That damn knee injury. He could have been the goat😢

[@pht9317]

Niran's a clown who defends terrorism and criticises people defending their homeland.

[@stoke1863]

stoke fan here, and you are right about Butland he was incredible for us and then just turned into a complete liability on the relegation season, you did say though " he didnt have any serious injury" actually he got a very bad injury playing for England vs Germany and he honestly was never the same after that.

[@RFC87]

He done very well last season but has been shite this season.

[@Yhsprs711]

Video idea: I know this will sound generic, but what about the downfall of the South Korean national team? We just drew to Palestine at home, and lost to Jordan in the Asian Cup. Its much deeper then a slip in form though, its rooted in the corruption and hypocrisy of the Korean FA. Afrer the 2022 world cup, we hired Jurgen Klinsmann, a has-been. Then we fired him for Hong Myung-Bo, who already failed with the team in 2014. The dragged out selection process after Klinsmann took 5 months, with 2 interim coaches in between. We failed to qualify for the Olympics for the first time in 40 years. Its been so bad that many politicians are calling for the chairman of the KFA to be removed, and there us strong animosity against anyone associated with the KFA.

[@Jonathanfootball144]

You’ll be fine. You know Palestine are extremely motivated

[@brendanhunter389]

@@Jonathanfootball144just ignoring everything else he said then

[@iangascoigne8231]

I think it was a joke.

[@abasudoh7459]

I completely forgot Paco Alcácer damn

[@ninjabiscuit1095]

Hadn't thought about Mendieta in years, remember the fuss when he signed for Middlesbrough and how people said it was below his level.

[@RussellGeorge67]

Particularly with Dele Alli, but across a lot of these players, it just beggars belief that an institution can allow itself to neglect a £120 million asset to the extent that it becomes worthless. Young people need constant care and guidance and that requirement is multiplied manifold if they are required to perform as professional athletes. To me it's another example of how clownish professional football clubs are compared to other institutions with similar wealth. It's a sort of Beverley Hillbillies situation.

[@YesOkayButWhy]

The bouncing heart at the end is how I imagine you look when you're walking out of the stadium after Hull have picked up 3 points.

[@AVFCAM]

Cuddicini was such a shame, he was an elite keeper and then Chelsea did what Chelsea did and bought another player in a position they didn’t really need to strengthen in, just because they could and a decent player who’d walk in to most first teams is no longer playing!

[@dickymoore]

Alfie, your contribution to advancing the game of football in terms of our understanding of footballers as human beings is hugely significant and variable. Thank you.

[@AVFCAM]

You feel for Butland, we had a similar issue with Brad Guzan at Villa…played the best season of his career and won our player of the year award, but then lost all his confidence after playing behind the worst defence we’ve ever had, conceding goals after after despite making plenty of saves, because they were just awful. His confidence never returned and he dropped out of the team.

[@lordhenrywotton95]

I say this as a Celtic fan, Butland has probably been Rangers’ best player since he joined them. He had a realistic chance of being in England’s squad this summer because of his form last season. I know lots of English fans dismiss Scottish football, but the overall standard is similar to the Championship in England and Butland made many saves in Old Firm games that kept Rangers in the match.

[@AVFCAM]

@@lordhenrywotton95see, when it comes to overall quality, the Scottish league is lacking, but, when it comes to shot stopping, I don’t see the dip as much…most professional footballers in the SPL can score great goals and you need to be decent to stop them. Butland and Joe Hart having good seasons in Scotland is more valid than someone in many other leagues.

[@Phrankster163]

Just when we're talking players from the past couple of decades, it surprises me that neither Phillipe Coutinho or Pierre Aubameyang were on this list, but when we're talking all of the time that I've followed football (since the late 80's), I'd still say that Paul Gascoigne's fall from grace in the early to mid 90's tops everyone else. I really think that if he'd stayed at Spurs and not gone to Lazio, then he could have kept playing at the same level for much longer, but alas, it wasn't to be.

[@gurururuwarararara8164]

Make a best 7 or best XI of players to never play in the Champions League. Qualifying rounds/play-offs not included

[@dabbigailwilliams]

on the topic of Dele, as a Spurs fan, i think his match form began to decline right when Eriksen’s output dried up. And Eriksen’s output began to dry up when we lost Dembele and thus scrambled to put together a proper midfield, plus losing Kane to a series of injuries that winter and spring, put Dele in a really tough spot where the service that gets thrived off completely dried up. mental health issues aside, i think we also failed to get the best out of him in that later part of his Spurs career and his form took a big hit due to not really being able to play to his strengths.

[@alfpayne5971]

As a Saints fan.... I dispute that Ramsdale is having some crisis of form and is tumbling towards obscurity.

[@cannonplays939]

Now comes the great struggle of fast forwarding to when the list actually starts.

[@5minutemovies977]

What about my career? I started playing at the age of 15, I was terrible, and I stopped. My downfall was unexpected, because my whole "career" even beginning was unpredictable :D

[@davidpyott3710]

It was such a waste. Tragic story 😂

[@danielebowman]

It’s interesting how almost every major downfall is after a bad transfer to an ill fitting team.

[@pringleton]

I like that number 1 spot came with an important message, I would add that in a footballer's job it is so much more visible. Foremost of us if we go through hard times and luring suffers, there's very small external evidence foremost people to see, households and co-workers will notice but nobody else is likely to, while a footballer is scrutinised by thousands/millions

[@morehouse4490]

I can’t imagine how he lost his virginity to a goat 0:44

[@miguel_aquatico]

Same, I had no idea Garrincha and Messi ever had sex

[@kevfullo]

you put it's two hind legs in one wellington boot and go from there

[@bartcroxford8160]

I remember watching a documentary about some village in rural Colombia where having sex with donkeys is regular. It was because they're very religious so didn't believe in sex before marriage or mastubation so would opt for sex with donkeys to express their sexual desires. This is a modern day village btw aswell, so I'm guessing he grew up in similar circumstances where beastilaity is normalised.

[@maciejbala477]

@@miguel_aquatico lmfao. You win the comment section

[@ali_2643]

The phrase "terminal death spiral" as descriptive noun is just so damming and brutal, yet accurate.

[@davidpyott3710]

Great name for a Heavy Metal band tho 🤘🤘

[@siler22]

Here are few more examples: Samuel Umtiti,Raphael Varane,Sadio Mane,Edouard Mendy,Bakayoko,Ndombele, Koulibaly,Ansu Fati,Danny Ings ~ Martial

[@lapislazuli3173]

umtiti was known why

[@pratosaurusrex1128]

If Casemiro’s contract wasn’t so huge he would be at least a mention. 5 time CL winner with Madrid, in contention for the best DM in the PL when he moved to Man Utd, then his form completely collapsed the following season and he has never recovered from it. Of course when you enter your 30s as a footballer you start to decline, but 31 years old and the level of decline he experienced was extraordinary

[@beno1129]

Sadio Mane doesn't really belong to that list. By the time he left Liverpool he had won everything bar the world cup, and he apparently felt that he had nothing left to prove and could take his foot off the pedal. So it wasn't an unexpected drop-off.

[@maciejbala477]

@@beno1129 I guess it's because of the manner in which he left Bayern for that brawl with a teammate? But yeah, it's not really drastic

[@13Joshuahun]

I remember just a few years ago when Berahino signed for my club Sheffield Wednesday thinking at the time that whilst it was risky, if it worked we’d have had an amazing player on a free. It’s so perplexing how he just hasn’t found the form of the early years of his career

[@yung404error8]

The moment ramsdale said he couldn’t focus for a full 90 mins i knew he had dug his own grave

[@karlyoung3275]

Bit harsh on Mendieta Boro looked on the up he played well for us I remember him ripping Man U apart on his on when they weren't a joke. The injuries were mega disappointing and arguably if he hadn't been injured for the UEFA Cup final it would have been a different game. Southgate for whatever reason never gave him a chance.

[@seandelap8587]

Ronaldinho I mean he alongside Kaka was considered the best in the world just before the Messi and Ronaldo era and when he signed for Barcelona but after the 2006 WC he was never the same player again and just bounced around from club to club after that and never again reached his previous heights

[@otto_jk]

He was still quite good in AC Milan and won their last Serie A before a decade long trophy drought with only 1 supercoppa and he was also one of the best players in the Brazilian league making the best 11 and winning the Libertadores in his final years.

[@maseratimitch2024]

@@otto_jkyeah, but people were comparing Ronaldinho to Michael Jordan. His fall from grace was FAR. And it was sudden. Besides Pele and Ronaldo9, thats how it usually goes for his countrymen. Longevity is not a strong suit of Brazilians

[@ricardoterrinha4899]

Jesus Christ you're football knowledge is so American. Lmfao​@@maseratimitch2024

[@awellculturedmanofanime1246]

Shows how insane it is for people like ronaldo and other players who stayed consistent year in year out

[@jakep5196]

Dele was hands down one of the best prospects in the game before his decline. He played with so much confidence and skill he made the game look easy at times. Reminded me of a kid playing in the park with the freedom he played with. Hope he manages to get his personal affairs in order and comes back in some capacity. Truly a phenomenal talent on his day and I'd love to see if back in the prem and enjoying his football again

[@MrSmith1984]

I believe I read somewhere that Mario Ballotelli career (& his mental health) downfall was at least partially due to the amount of racial abuse he suffered on the pitch. It's not hard to understand why that might well be very true.

[@michaelh878]

His worst spell was at Liverpool where he likely faced the least abuse and he had some good spells in countries where he likely received the most such as Turkey so sounds more like a convenient excuse.

[@hello-friend990]

I don't care for Man City. I havent watched a single match of theirs unless they were playing my team. However, Cancelo's downfall was so bizarre I searched for documentaries about what happened to him

[@davidpyott3710]

I think City players burn out playing for Guardiola. After the treble Gundogan left for Barcelona. Some players are always leaving after a successful season.

[@soundscape26]

Seeing Mourinho there makes me think you could make a similar video to this one but for managers

[@Leopardo_Bianco]

Juve sold Cancelo as he wanted to leave for more money, and Juve's locker policy is to never keep players that want to leave.

[@hefewe1zen940]

Goalkeeping is hard to judge because of limited actions and impact on actual play, so some become unjustifiably overrated. Once they switch teams it turns out they were nothing special

[@mcbassinfaas7285]

always blame the keepers never the build up or the turnover that led to the goalies mistake.

[@tentacion4815]

Is it just from a foreign perspective or did west brom had one of the best youth acadamies with the worst outcome a few years back. I remember jonathan leko, kyle edwards, rakeem harper, sam field and o‘shea also were very promising back then and none of them is a regular starter in premier league today.

[@jmcan21]

Alfie snuck Hull into the European giants conversation and thought we wouldn’t notice 😂

[@shaunnichols1743]

It seems like a massive part of playing keeper at the top levels is down to decisiveness, so it makes sense that so many of them plummet when their confidence falters

[@someguynamedmike4766]

I'll always remember deadline day 2015 when Berahino was fuming he couldn't go to Spurs whilst waiting for a train to see Straight Outta Compton geez time flies

[@tylersheppard5450]

Fair shout with Turan and Butland. People forget Jack was expected to run away with the England #1.

[@LeoGuidi]

Saying Joe Hart “fell off” feels quite harsh when he recovered quite a bit at Celtic and won multiple league titles + 3 cups

[@petesmart1983]

Yea but playing for a big club in top league or 2 team league in a minor league 🫣

[@LeoGuidi]

@@petesmart1983 playing for one of the biggest clubs in the UK, playing in the champions league, winning trophies Yeah I’d much prefer that to playing for Spurs ffs

[@JKribbit]

When you play for Pep you can be damned sure you may wake up one morning and get told you suck and it's time to move on even though you've played 40 matches for him the previous season. Cancelo, Joe Hart, Cesc, Eto'o, Yaya Toure are all cases in point. Grealish being the next one soon.

[@paddypgaming23]

Yaya Toure was so unfair

[@robertgammon-ross9983]

Alan simonsen, from Barcelona and ballon dor to... Second division charlton athletic: despite interest from real, and other giants, cause he wanted a break

[@samaldo561]

Joe Hart looked rough most of his last 2 seasons at Celtic I genuinely believed he could cost us the league last season. Once he came out saying he was going to retire he looked like a new man though. Really came through at the end.

[@kadthedreamer]

Ali's story breaks my heart every time I hear it

[@mismisimognomo101]

That Thumbnail really hurted as a Chilean 🇨🇱😿

[@romanmcmillan7542]

Fernando Torres was the saddest for me. He was my favorite player I have his 2010 wc jersey and his full kit. There was a commercial for yogurt I think in Spain where he and David villa were superheroes that played all the time after the 2008 euros (like I remember literally the day after the final) and then right after his move to Chelsea he just completely fell off 😢😭