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Tottenham Hotspur have now expressed their interest in signing one player from an elite club in the looming January transfer window, with Ange Postecoglou’s side looking to strengthen mid-season.

Tottenham suffer Nottingham Forest defeat as injury crisis worsens

Spurs suffered their fourth defeat in five Premier League matches on Boxing Day, with Nuno Espirito Santo’s high-flying Nottingham Forest side beating them 1-0 at the City Ground through Anthony Elanga’s first-half strike.

Tottenham eye Real Madrid target as "incredible" Levy call gifts Spurs advantage

Both the Lilywhites and Galacticos “really” want him.

1 ByEmilio Galantini Dec 27, 2024

The Lilywhites faced an uphill battle after Elanga’s opening goal, with the away side struggling to break them down, despite enjoying 71 per cent of the possession and completing 620 passes to Forest’s 261.

Forest managed to completely shut them out as Tottenham dominated the overall play but mustered just four attempts on target all game, with a very frustrating afternoon for Postecoglou compounded by Djed Spence’s added-time red card and Radu Dragusin’s injury.

Wolverhampton Wanderers (home)

December 29

Newcastle United (home)

January 4

Arsenal (away)

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Everton (away)

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Leicester City (home)

January 26

Dragusin was forced off just minutes before the full-time whistle with an ankle problem, as confirmed by Postecoglou, who also held some praise for his team for working hard in the “disappointing” defeat.

“It’s obviously disappointing the defeat, tight game, it was never going to be the kind of game where there would be too many chances,” said Postecoglou on Tottenham’s 1-0 defeat to Forest.

“I still thought we had a fair chunk of it where we could have got something out of the game, but it was always going to be a tight game here. It was a disappointing goal we conceded, but aside from that the boys worked hard and we tried to generate as many opportunities as we could considering the context of the game and how Forest play, but we just couldn’t get over the top of them.”

While supporters anxiously wait to find out the extent of Dragusin’s injury, they will be hoping it is nothing serious, as Postecoglou could be left without any natural, senior central defensive options for the coming weeks.

Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero and Ben Davies are all sidelined through injury, and if Dragusin is forced to join them on the treatment table for a prolonged period, it would surely force technical director Johan Lange to bring in another centre-back when the transfer window reopens next month.

Tottenham have been linked with a host of centre-backs ahead of January, but it is believed they could also seek to reinforce their attacking options.

Tottenham eyeing January move for PSG forward Randal Kolo Muani

Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg, a very reliable Bundesliga source, has now revealed Spurs’ interest in signing £204,000-per-week PSG forward Randal Kolo Muani.

The 26-year-old is a firm favourite under Didier Deschamps at international level for France, but he’s struggled to assert himself at PSG, despite originally being tipped to seize Kylian Mbappe’s mantle after his exit to Real Madrid.

He is “set to leave” PSG next month, most likely on loan, according to Plettenberg, who also says that Tottenham have expressed an interest in signing Kolo Muani for January.

The Les Bleus star’s best club season came during the 2022/2023 campaign at Eintracht Frankfurt – where he scored 15 goals and bagged a further 11 assists in 32 Bundesliga appearances – and Spurs would be hopeful he could rediscover that form if they do elect to pursue a temporary deal.

Former NZ batter and selector Bruce Edgar will be in charge of the red-ball side

Deivarayan Muthu09-Jun-2022Former New Zealand wicketkeeper-batter BJ Watling has been appointed Wellington Firebirds’ white-ball head coach, ahead of the upcoming domestic season. This will be the 36-year-old’s first role as head coach of a senior side, having been in charge of the Northern Districts A side after playing his last Test against India in the WTC final in June 2021.Watling takes over from Glenn Pocknall, who had coached Wellington to titles in all three formats and even had a stint with the New Zealand national side for a tour of Bangladesh last year, when Gary Stead was absent. Pocknall will now lead Cricket Wellington’s talent acceleration programme, which aims at producing more players for the men’s and women’s national sides.While Watling will oversee the one-day and T20 teams, Bruce Edgar, the former New Zealand batter and selector, will take charge of the red-ball side. The 65-year-old will also serve as Cricket Wellington’s director of cricket until the end of 2022-23. The dual role marks his return to the Wellington set-up since stepping down as Wellington’s head coach at the end of the 2018-19 season.Watling said that transitioning from playing to coaching was something that was always on his agenda. Since his retirement, Watling has been active as Northern Districts’ network coach in the Waikato. He even assisted Northern Brave men during their triumphant Super Smash campaign.Related

NZ domestic contracts: Milne moves to Wellington, Glenn Phillips reunites with brother Dale at Otago

Watling, the quintessential New Zealander

Watling to retire after England tour

“To be honest – for the whole way through – I kind of have been planning for this,” Watling said during a virtual media interaction. “Been doing whatever ones and twos and what not throughout playing and probably started my network coaching three or four or five years ago with ND [Northern Districts] here. So it has always been on the backburner. Obviously, once I retired I started to dive in a bit more.”Watling shrugged off any apprehensions around his quick elevation to the head coach’s role, less than a year after he retired, and looked forward to working with Edgar and Toby Radford, who has also joined the Wellington support staff as a specialist batting coach.Notably, Radford was West Indies’ batting coach when they won the 2012 T20 World Cup and recently worked as the head of high performance in Bangladesh. Radford was also England Under-19s batting coach at the 2022 Under-19 World Cup in the Caribbean, where they finished runners-up.”Not yet [apprehensive]. I’m quite excited to be fair,” Watling said. “It is something that might have come in a little bit early, but I’m definitely ready for the challenge and looking forward to working with what I see as a very talented young group and core senior players as well and some Black Caps. It looks like a fantastic squad to be in charge of, especially in the white-ball stuff, and I can’t wait to get stuck in.”[My role is] to lead and I’ll try to do that through my attitude. I know I will get a good little preparation time with Bruce in charge there. I will have some good learning off him and obviously Toby as well – two very experienced coaches I can lean on and use throughout the season. I plan on doing that and basically connecting with the playing group and staff will be the first priority and trying to find my feet at Wellington.”Watling said he would also draw motivation from the success of countrymen Brendon McCullum, Stephen Fleming and Daniel Vettori who are all now active coaches in top-flight cricket.”It’s great to see the boys out there coaching,” Watling said. “Obviously, recently was exciting to see him [McCullum] get the England role. I know he will do a fantastic job. I’ve kept an eye on Flem with the Chennai Super Kings there [IPL]. Yeah, I guess that has inspired me, but throughout my career, I love cricket and I’m passionate about the game and I’m really looking forward to get back.”Cricket Wellington CEO Cam Mitchell was confident of Watling making an impact at the province as coach.”We have no doubt that BJ will be a successful elite coach, and we are pleased to be able to help support his career development,” Mitchell said in a Cricket Wellington statement.”His work ethic, strong values and recent playing experience will be so valuable for our young playing group, and his strong track-record of success as a player shows what we are trying to achieve.”

The former Aston Villa manager has committed his future to the Eastern Conference MLS side

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Dean Smith signs Charlotte FC contract extensionInks deal through 2027Eastern Conference side touted for big 2025Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowWHAT HAPPENED?

Charlotte FC have announced that they have signed manager Dean Smith to a contract extension through 2027. The Englishman led the club to a record points total of 51 and their first playoff win in 2024.

“Dean has been an exceptional leader for Charlotte FC and we are excited for him to sign a new contract,” said Owner David Tepper. “The club’s success over the past year is a reflection of his dedication and commitment to excellence both on and off the pitch. We look forward to what the future holds with Dean leading the way.”

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The club is off to their best start through four matches to begin a season in club history with a record of 2-1-1 through four matches, including impressive victories over FC Cincinnati and Atlanta United and a thrilling draw with the Seattle Sounders. Their lone defeat came at the hands of Inter Miami in a 1-0 loss.

“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed being the head coach of Charlotte FC and I’m honored to sign a new contract with the Club,” said Smith. “Everyone at the club is aligned in our vision to be a leader in Major League Soccer. To our supporters, you have made our family feel welcome in this city and for that we’re grateful to each one of you. We will work together with the aim of consistently challenging for major trophies every season.”

DID YOU KNOW?

Charlotte signed Ivory Coast international Wilfried Zaha ahead of the 2025 MLS season, and the ex-Crystal Palace forward has one goal to begin the season.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR SMITH?

Charlotte take on the San Jose Earthquakes Saturday evening on Matchday 5, as they look to move up the Eastern Conference table. They sit on seven points through four matches to begin their season.

Sergio Reguilon admits that emotions got the better of him in a first Clasico appearance, as he called Lionel Messi a “flea” & Luis Suarez “ugly”.

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Defender was fired up for Blaugrana clashAdmits he let emotions get the better of himCried after Man Utd defeat in Carabao CupGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

The hard-working full-back was handed a taste of one of the biggest grudge matches in world football back in 2018-19. He had stepped out of Real Madrid’s academy system and was offered an opportunity to line up against a star-studded Barcelona side in February 2019.

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Reguilon actually faced Barca in back-to-back fixtures at Santiago Bernabeu, as old adversaries locked horns in Copa del Rey and La Liga competition, with the youngster eager to impress. He certainly made an impression, with footage of him aiming insults at Messi and Suarez going viral on YouTube. Reguilon has told of those incidents: “I was young, too emotional, my first Clasico. Unbelievable game, my best for Real Madrid for sure. We lost but I played really well.”

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Emotions are something that Reguilon has always struggled to contain, with the now 27-year-old admitting to shedding a few tears after forming part of the Manchester United side that lost to Newcastle in the Carabao Cup fourth round during a disappointing loan spell at Old Trafford. He added: “We were defending the title and we were out. I don’t care if I am here for six months, I was upset. I don’t know how long I was crying like a kid. Bruno [Fernandes] comes to tell me to relax and I still have the same shit face. Maybe I am too passionate, too emotional in some moments but I can’t control.”

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WHAT NEXT FOR REGUILON?

The Spain international defender is now on the books at Brentford, having secured another loan move away from Tottenham in January, and is approaching a big summer when it comes to long-term decisions on his future.

Arsenal have been told that a gem of theirs could get even better very soon as Mikel Arteta's side start this Premier League campaign with serious title aspirations.

Arsenal fixtures and results

The Gunners are currently enjoying one of their finest ever starts to an English top flight campaign, winning six out of their opening eight league matches while remaining unbeaten.

Arsenal are currently joint-top with league leaders and north London rivals Tottenham, boasting a similar record to Ange Postecoglou's high-flying Spurs side. Arteta, just prior to this international break, guided Arsenal to a statement 1-0 win over current champions Man City, courtesy of a late, deflected effort from super sub Gabriel Martinelli. Speaking after the vital win, Arsenal's head coach was full of praise.

"A great feeling obviously, you could sense it’s been so many years without beating them and today we have beaten in my opinion without a question of a doubt the best team in the world," said Arteta to Arsenal's official website.

"We've done it in a great way. There were moments we had to suffer, but as well moments we showed real determination, desire and belief to beat them, so really happy. Certainly sends a message to the team, keep believing in what they are doing, they are a fantastic group of players.

"The way they try, the understanding, the chemistry that they have between them you sense it and you need it to beat that, today again really proud, I was proud on Wednesday when we lost the game, and I am really proud again today as well to be part of that team."

Arsenal have taken on Nottingham Forest, Crystal Palace, Fulham, Man United, Everton, Tottenham, Bournemouth and Man City. They next face off against London neighbours Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, which will make for a very interesting encounter.

Declan Rice news

A fixture of Arteta's starting eleven after his £105 million move from West Ham, star midfielder Declan Rice has become an important player at the Emirates Stadium. The 24-year-old gem has started every single Arsenal league game, even getting on the scoresheet in a 3-1 win over Man United. Rice is already endearing himself to club's fanbase with some imperious performances, and has attracted praise for his start to life in an Arsenal shirt.

The sky appears to be the limit for West Ham's former captain, with Sky Sports pundit Kevin Campbell now telling the Highbury Squad YouTube channel that he has "levels to go" yet.

“A lot of people weren’t sure how good Declan Rice would be. Are you surprised by how good he is? Because, you know what, I think he has levels to go in this side. This is just him shaking off West Ham. He’s going to get much better."

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As if there wasn't enough Declan Rice praise, he's also been called "sensational" by members of the press, and he's certainly starting to prove his worth so early on in his Gunners career.

Pep Guardiola jokingly took a "last book he read" dig at Phil Foden when explaining his rise to superstardom at Manchester City.

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Guardiola pokes fun at FodenExplained his transformation into a world-class playerFoden's brace helped Man City beat Man UtdWHAT HAPPENED?

The Manchester City manager was full of praise for derby hero Foden, whose brace helped the club to come back from behind to beat rivals Manchester United on Sunday. Guardiola explained how Foden has evolved as a player over the years and claimed that the England international does not feel any pressure.

AdvertisementWHAT PEP GUARDIOLA SAID

Speaking to , Guardiola said: "When I arrived and he was 17 or 18 years old, he had it. Football, he lives for it. The pressure for Phil is if he has to do a press conference about the last book that he read. But football, he loves it. That is why when he was 19 or 20 when he started training, I did not improve things. He was aggressive with the ball, he dribbled. And after, more mature. Understanding defensively what you need to do. Before, he was not really good. After, he understood the games.

"And then, the most important thing. Everybody had it in this audience and the fans today, when he had the ball close to their box, they had the feeling that something was going to happen. Effective or not effective, it does not matter. They had the feeling. That is why he is becoming a really important player for us and the national team of England."

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The Cityzens star has enjoyed a rich vein of form in the 2023-24 season, having already scored 18 goals across all competitions, the best total across a single campaign in his career. He has also provided 10 assists in 40 appearances for his club this term.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER CITY?

The reigning English champions will next take on Copenhagen in the second leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie on Wednesday, before they face league leaders Liverpool in a crucial Premier League fixture at Anfield on Sunday.

The captain was also fined 60% of his match with Pakistan ruled to be three overs short at Lord’s

ESPNcricinfo staff28-May-2018Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed will have the threat of Test suspension hanging over him after the team were penalised for a slow over-rate during their Lord’s victory over England.They were judged to be three overs short of their requirement at the end of the Test once various allowances were taken into consideration by ICC match referee Jeff CrowePlayers are fined 10% of their match fee for every over short while the captain suffers double which means Sarfraz was fined 60% of his fee and the rest of the team 30%. Sarfraz pleaded guilty and there was no need for a hearing.If Pakistan commit another minor over-rate offence in the next 12 months with Sarfraz as captain he will be suspended for a match.The second Test begins at Headingley on Friday.

Arsenal will seek to maintain their unbeaten start to the season with another important Premier League victory today, but face a true hurdle as they travel to AFC Bournemouth.

As the side who very nearly curtailed their title hopes early last campaign, Mikel Arteta will want little fanfare in this clash, hoping to simply blow them away.

Who is injured for Arsenal's game vs AFC Bournemouth?

However, he will go into the match with what seems like a severely depleted side, as they are nursing numerous knocks accumulated over the past few weeks.

The Spaniard would tell reporters in his pre-match press conference:

"Declan hasn’t trained yet, we have a session in an hour, we’ll get more news about him. Gabi [Martinelli] hasn’t trained, Leo same situation, Saka, same. They are all in the same pool, Willy [Saliba] had a knock, and Fabio [Viera] wasn’t involved. We have to assess them today."

Given those mentioned are some of his most important stars, what was already a tough task on the road has devolved into a true battle to claim any points at all, with their squad depth set to be truly tested. However, a spirited midweek win against Brentford in the EFL Cup should offer hope that a victory remains possible, especially since none of those noted started that game.

However, one such star who they simply must recall is Martin Odegaard, who boasts more than enough quality to claim all three points on his own, even with a depleted squad.

How good is Martin Odegaard?

Having joined from Real Madrid for £30m, the Norwegian maestro has speedily developed into one of the division's finest midfield creators.

Last term saw him notch an outstanding 15 goals, adding eight assists to a figure that saw him finish the campaign as the club's joint-top scorer.

It must also be noted that two of those strikes actually came against the Cherries, having tapped in the opener away from home from close range before lashing home a curling effort just inside the area to make it 2-0. A professional away trip as the Gunners kickstarted what would be a wonderful season, Arteta will be praying for a similar performance today.

Fortunately, Odegaard has started the new term in blistering form too, suggesting there is every chance the 24-year-old could replicate such a showing. His 7.30 average rating in the league is impressive, and buoyed by his two goals, 1.3 key passes and two tackles per game, via Sofascore.

Writer Declan Carr would seek to laud the progression of a man who has a high chance of being the match-winner this weekend, claiming back in January:

"Martin Odegaard has developed into the world-class player that he was once touted to be.. and he’s a real leader now for Arsenal."

Although the potential absences of Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli will be felt heavily, who posted 25 and 20 goal contributions last campaign in the league respectively, Arteta will arguably be most relieved that his captain remains fit.

If there is just a shred of quality in front of him, he can provide the chances. And if not, he clearly has the goalscoring know-how to do it on his own. Lightning could be set to strike twice at the Vitality Stadium.

Tom Westley, an England debutant last summer, has been a Championship struggler this, but all that changed at the start of the limited-overs season

ECB Reporters Network17-May-2018
ScorecardTom Westley struck his first century of the season to secure a winning start to Essex’s Royal London One-Day Cup campaign as they thrashed Middlesex by six wickets at Radlett.Westley, who has struggled for form in the County Championship, hit 134 and shared a second-wicket stand of 153 with Varun Chopra as last year’s semi-finalists cruised home with 7.2 overs to spare.Middlesex, who tasted defeat at Radlett for only the second time, were left to rue dropping Westley twice – the first of those when he had made only 12.Stand-in captain Steven Finn’s decision to bat after winning the toss looked a sound one, with Jamie Porter sending the first delivery of the innings for four wides and Nick Gubbins quickly getting into his stride.The in-form Gubbins (50) savaged Porter as he whipped three boundaries through the gully and guided the Middlesex total past 50 in only the eighth over.He and Stevie Eskinazi looked comfortable in their opening-wicket partnership of 79 – but the picture changed when Eskinazi miscued a hook off Neil Wagner to long-leg.Wagner induced Paul Stirling to chip to mid-wicket in his next over and, when Simon Harmer found a way through Gubbins’ defences, the hosts were on the slide at 86 for 3.Their hopes of posting a sizeable score rested largely on Eoin Morgan, who swept Dan Lawrence for the only six of the innings and kept the scoreboard ticking over as he added 57 for the fourth wicket with Hilton Cartwright.But, while of most of Middlesex’s batsmen got started, none were able to take the next step – with John Simpson looking well set before he perished to a smart midwicket catch by Chopra.Harmer trapped Morgan lbw for 45 soon afterwards and, although James Franklin and Tom Helm played sensibly to haul Middlesex to exactly 250, Ravi Bopara polished them off nine balls short of their allotted overs.Essex’s reply got off to an inauspicious start when Adam Wheater was caught behind in Helm’s first over – but Westley and Chopra soon got on top of the bowling.Westley had made just 12 when he flicked Finn to backward square, but Tom Barber put down the catch and the home side paid heavily for that let-off.With Chopra content to drop anchor, Westley pierced the gaps in the field and motored on to reach his half-century with a crashing cover drive off Cartwright.He was given his second life on 78 when Stirling failed to hang onto a chance at mid-wicket – but by then the visitors were well on their way to a resounding win.Chopra eventually departed for 59, stumped off Ravi Patel, who also claimed the late wickets of Westley and Dan Lawrence before Essex sealed victory.

The Golden Boy Award was established by Italian newspaper Tuttosport in 2003 and is considered one of the most prestigious accolades a young footballer can win.

The prize is awarded to the best under-21 player based on the continent. Most players have gone on to have illustrious careers, while others have underwhelmed.

Football FanCast has taken a trip down memory lane to revisit the previous 20 winners of the illustrious accolade, which crowns Europe’s most promising talent, in the hope of foreshadowing the next Ballon d’Or winner.

There are a few surprises…

Rafael van der Vaart – 2003

Admittedly, we raised our eyebrows at this one…

The former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder, Rafael van der Vaart, was a fantastic player but who knew he was held in such high regard as a youngster?

The then-20-year-old became the inaugural award winner in 2003 following a stellar campaign with Ajax, which saw him net 22 goals across 30 appearances – a truly astounding goal return from a midfielder.

Whilst the Dutchman didn’t quite reach the level many expected of him, he still racked up a remarkable 109 caps for his nation and enjoyed a fruitful two-year spell in the Premier League.

It’s also important to note, that Van der Vaart made 73 appearances for Real Madrid, which is arguably the pinnacle of a footballer’s career.

So he didn’t do too badly…

Wayne Rooney – 2004

No surprises with this one…

We all knew Wayne Rooney was once tipped to become a legend of the game, and he achieved virtually everything asked of him, becoming the Three Lions and Manchester United’s all-time leading scorer.

But, there will always be some who question; did he underachieve in his career? Many expected the former Everton and United forward to become the best player in the world, winning accolades such as the Ballon d’Or, but he never quite reached those heights, at least not for a sustained period.

Notwithstanding that, for what it’s worth, we think he’s England’s greatest-ever player.

Lionel Messi – 2005

Needless to say, Lionel Messi achieved everything expected of him and beyond.

The Argentinian is widely considered as the greatest footballer of all time and that mantle only solidified after guiding his nation to a World Cup triumph last year, winning the Golden Ball award in the process.

The 36-year-old now plies his trade in MLS with David Beckham’s newly formed Inter Miami.

Cesc Fàbregas – 2006

Cesc Fabregas wouldn’t be too far off an all-time Premier League XI…

The Spaniard was just 19 years old when he collected the Golden Boy award, but quite remarkably, was already approaching 100 appearances in England’s top flight.

Read more: Cesc Fabregas’ greatest moments – ranked

The classy midfielder proceeded to enjoy a marvellous, trophy-laden career at the highest level, reaching the pinnacle of football by winning the World Cup in 2010.

Having surpassed over 100 caps for his nation, and won nearly every trophy imaginable – other than the elusive Champions League – it’s fair to say, that Fábregas lived up to his early promise.

Sergio Agüero – 2007

Argentine forward Sergio Aguero won the prestigious accolade after winning the Under-20 World Cup, where he was crowned as top scorer with six goals.

His prolific goal record continued at club level with Atletico Madrid, scoring a whopping 27 goals across the 2007/08 season.

July 2011 saw him depart the Spanish giants in favour of a move to Manchester City, where he established himself as one the greatest players of his generation.

Agüero certainly fulfilled the Golden Boy mantle.

Anderson – 2008

Anderson joined Manchester United in a mega-money move from Porto in 2007 and enjoyed a fruitful debut season, winning the Premier League.

However, having won the Golden Boy Award in 2008, it never really propelled his career and he began to slip down a steady decline, despite being so young.

2019 saw the Brazillian retire and hang his boots up for good, aged just 31, after spells back in his home nation and Turkey following his 2015 United exit.

Despite failing to live up to initial expectations, Anderson enjoyed a trophy-laden career, which many would be envious of.

Alexandre Pato – 2009

Alexandre Pato was tipped to become the world’s best player when he emerged as a promising centre-forward at Milan. And winning the Golden Boy award only solidified those hopes, but after four successive seasons as one of Milan’s leading goalscorers, his form plummeted.

Pato, speaking to the Players’ Tribune earlier this year, spoke candidly about why he underachieved: “Man … those were the days I thought I’d make it to the very top. The expectations were so great, you know? I was the super talent, the sure thing.

“I was already playing for Brazil. The press writes about you, the fans talk about you, even other players hype you up. PATO WILL BE THE BEST IN THE WORLD. PATO WILL WIN THE BALLON D’OR. I loved the attention. I wanted to be talked about.

“But you know what happened? I began dreaming too much. Even though I was still working hard, my imagination was taking me all kinds of places. In my head, I was already holding the Ballon d’Or. You can’t help it, man. It’s very hard not to get affected.

“Also, I had suffered like hell to get there. Why should I not enjoy it? When I became the Golden Boy as the best young player in Europe, in 2009, I didn’t think about the Ballon d’Or. I was just having fun and OPA! — a prize. I was unstoppable when I was living in the present. But my head got stuck in the future.”

Mario Balotelli – 2010

Italian forward Mario Balotelli was a chaotic character to say the least, notwithstanding that, he was also a highly regarded youngster who was tipped to claim the Ballon d’Or.

2010 saw the then-Manchester City striker collect the Golden Boy award but his early promise was never really fulfilled and he now plies his trade in Turkey with Adana Demirspor, aged 33.

Speaking on the Muschio Selvaggio Podcast, Balotelli claimed that ‘too often’ he played at 20% of his capabilities.

Mario Götze – 2011

Mario Götze is another who struggled to reach the lofty heights expected of him, though, injuries amongst other factors certainly played a part in his unfulfilled potential.

Now aged 31, the German is back in his home nation with Eintracht Frankfurt after a two-year spell at PSV, where he netted 18 times in 77 appearances.

Götze’s career highlight will certainly live long in the memories of German fans, as he netted the winner in the 2014 World Cup final against Argentina.

Isco – 2012

Isco played a pivotal role in Malaga’s 2011/12 Champions League quarter-final campaign and was the jewel of Spain’s Under-21 side leading up to the prestigious award ceremony.

The Spaniard would earn a £23m switch to LaLiga giants Real Madrid a year later, where he continued to establish himself as one of Europe’s brightest prospects.

Whilst he did enjoy a glittering nine-year stay in Madrid, many would argue he didn’t maximise his full potential.