Almost Legend

His goalscoring record in the Real Madrid youth teams eclipsed that of the great Raul Gonzalez; making Javier Portillo the most celebrated wonderkid in Spain at the start of the millennium. Breaking into the Real Madrid team of the Galactico era proved even more impressive. Sadly, his breakout would prove to be a false dawn. Failing to live up to his early promise, Portillo struggled in every other club he played in; in a career that dwindled very quickly.

His goalscoring record in the Real Madrid youth teams eclipsed that of the great Raul Gonzalez; making Javier Portillo the most celebrated wonderkid in Spain at the start of the millennium. Breaking into the Real Madrid team of the Galactico era proved even more impressive. Sadly, his breakout would prove to be a false dawn. Failing to live up to his early promise, Portillo struggled in every other club he played in; in a career that dwindled very quickly.

Regarded as one of the finest talents to ever come out of France, it is no surprise that Ben Arfa has played for top clubs like Newcastle, Lyon, Marseille and PSG. However, his stints at these clubs, and others, were marred by a perceived arrogance and a well-publicized bad temper. His story is one of magic, and remarkable comebacks... but also one of poor judgement and decision-making.

After breaking out in Major League Soccer with Houston Dynamo, Stuart seemed set to become the USA's next global superstar. Unfortunately, his career became a tragic story of a footballer whose body failed him by breaking down frequently with injuries. Fans will always have that lingering feeling of what might have been if he was fit for long enough.

Nigeria thought it had found a replacement for the great 'Jay-Jay' Okocha when Rabiu Ibrahim stepped into the scene at Nigeria's successful outing at the FIFA Under-17 World Cup in 2007. After making his way to Portugal to start what was a promising career, Rabiu Ibrahim quickly turned into a tale of wasted time and talent.

In 2004, Lionel Messi was not the most popular teenage sensation in the world. That title belonged to Freddy Adu, who broke soccer records by making his professional debut aged 14. His talent promised a glorious career but what followed was a nomadic career characterized by many bus stops. His story is one of extreme disappointment and...no doubt...regret.

Early in his career, Taarabt became known for his tricky feet and outrageous skills. His move to Tottenham should have launched his career alongside Gareth Bale, Aaron Lennon and Tom Huddlestone. Sadly, in a career that took in clubs like Fulham, AC Milan and, currently, Benefica, Taarabt best days were found at QPR; a stark contrast to what was achieved by Lennon, Huddlestone and, of course, Bale.

A stand-out talent in an Ajax team that featured Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Westley Sneijder, Steven Pienaar, and Rafael Van Der Vaart, Andy Van Der Meyde had the world at his feet early in his career before struggling at Inter Milan and self-destructing at Everton. A classic tale of how personal demons can get in the way of a successful career.

As a youngster, Yoan Gourcuff was the closest thing France to a creative outlet since Zidane retired. Tasked with leading France to a new era, he failed to cope with the pressure of filling Zidane's boots and watched his career water down to a mere footnote; a far cry from what could have been given the massive opportunity he was given.

Roy Drenthe announced himself to the world with a stunning performance at the Under-17 European Championships in 2007. Earmarked as the heir to Roberto Carlos, Drenthe became nothing like the Brazilian great as his pursuit for fulfillment saw play for numerous clubs...and even take up a new career in music...all before he turned 30 years old.

Nicknamed 'Fantonio' early in his career due to his supreme talent as a youngster, Cassano set the Serie A alight with an electric debut as a 17-year old. As a 19 year old, he became the most expensive teenager in the game before becoming a Galactico. What followed was a rollercoaster of a career that leaves a demonstration of how a bad temper can ruin good talent.

Blessed with skill on both feet, Ricardo Quaresma started his career with a bigger reputation that fellow Portuguese wonderkid, Cristiano Ronaldo.While Ronaldo went on to become one of the game's greatest goalscorers, winning multiple Ballon D'ors along the way, Quaresma's career failed to ignite as he crumbled at every chance to prove himself at the highest level, with failed moves to top clubs in Italy, Spain and England.Listen to Almost Legend on https://jamit.fm/almostlegend

Discover talented soccer players that almost reached the legend status but fell short