Good players who lost it quite early

Ronaldinho, to be fair he had won everything he could win and had been the best player in the world for a few years but after the age of 26 or 27 he just gave up really.

 

They both lost it through injuries, if you include the likes of Michael Owen who was hampered by injury then those two are included.

 

Great example.

My granddad says that Connelly was one of the finest players he'd ever watched playing for any club, never mind just at Celtic.

Apparently had it all and wasted it with his problems off the field.

 

True, a shame to think he is only 32, if he wanted to he could still be one of the top 10 in the world.

Riquelme was the same, his last good year was 2006 when he was only 27.

Lazy south american *. Robinho, Tevez and Adriano never really reached their potential either, all lazy * aswell.

 

That wasn't Riquelme's last good year...

 

Last year he was at his best. The 2006 world cup was the last time he turned up and meant business, he was great then and has went into auto pilot since.

 

I'll never forget the absolute beast that Juan Riquelme was in LMA Manager 2003, for the PS2.

Ah, the good old days.

 

His performance at Celtic Park in 2004 is still the best ive ever seen. He was like a combination of Xavi, Scholes and Lubo then

 

He was incredible in 2008 for Argentina's world cup qualifying. Fell out with the coach after that I believe.

 

I was thinking Gazza as well.

Nigel Jemson, * Jeffers

 

Spot on, the guy was world class, potentially better than Kenny D, great loss to Celtic and football.

In January 1966 the Parkhead crowd who had attended the European clash against Dynamo Kiev, looked on in amazement during the half time interval as a 16 year old boy walked round the entire perimeter of the touchline with a faultless display of keepy-uppy such as they had never seen before. The enthralled crowd noted the boy's name - George Connelly - and in the Scottish cup final of 1969 he cemented his name in Celtic folklore. As John Greig took a pass from his goalkeeper Norrie Martin, Connelly ran across, dispossessed Greig and casually rounded Martin to slide the ball into the empty net. Celtic went on to famously win 4-0 and from then on George was a fixture in Jock Stein's Celtic and he was not yet 20 years old:icon_mrgreen:

 

Tomas Rosicky was immense at Euro 2004, and a few years after that, then hit a bit of a brick wall when going to Arsenal.

 

Same with Arshavin.

 

Abou Diaby? While we're on the subject of Arsenal players

 

Saw him play brilliantly at Anfield at the start of the season. I don't know if I have seen him play since.

 

Fernando Torres. The decline in the level of his play over the last 2 years has been startling. I honestly am lost when I try to find an explanation for what's happened to him.

 

So many Arsenal players over the last 8 years.

 

Kaka

 

Harry Kewell

 

Damien Duff?

Ronaldinho is the one that gets to me though. He had the chance to perhaps become the greatest ever but he just gave up