Players You Thought Looked Decent But Never Amounted To Anything

[Carlo Corazzins Corduroy]

So I was looking through a list of old players for whatever reason, and a few names jumped out and that me think, christ...what happened to them??

Jake Robinson - Absolute gash in front of goal for us, but always seemed half an inch away from being a good player. A fraction offside, releasing the ball slightly too late, shots shaving the post. Like a season one Billy McKay. Jakey never played for a league club again after his release, and most recently scored from about 60 yards for Billericay.

Alex Konstantinou - The slayer of Reading. Always looked sharp and comfortable despite his young age. Only had a spattering of appearences in the Cypriot league after being released. (I'm sure there was another Cypriot on the books at the same time?)

Brett Johnson - This may have just been influenced by Championship Manager, but looked the next big prospect after Luke Chambers. Was in Wimbledon's squad for their return to the league, however never consolidated himself as a league player.

Luke Graham - Almost identical career trajectory to Brett. (think he was well regarded at Kettering??)

Jacob Blyth - Tall, mobile, good touch. Could have scored more but was convinced he'd return to Leicester and become an established Championship player. Now a free agent after release from Motherwell.

Michael Hoganson - Only actually a trialist before Derby pinched him. Big, strong, quick wingback. Now a free agent at 23 after 4 appeareances for them and a stint on loan at Working.

Neal Kitson - Supposedly had Everton looking at him after his ridiculous string of consecutive penalty saves. Became homesick and returned to the US where I think he's mostly played amateur or semi-pro football.

Claudio Dias - Just his name really. Now in tier 6, so decent level, but hasn't racked up many appearences since leaving us. Again, maybe it's the name getting him clubs.

Kevin Thornton - Most obvious of the list and no doubt would have been a solid Championship player if he ever got his head right. Only now 31 but playing in tier 9. Maybe he's happy with this though.

Honourable mentions to Danny May and Dave(?) Hicks.

[Tabasco Kid]

Superkev, along with Ricky, my favourite player of the last ten years. The ability to drop a shoulder, and ghost past a defender was awesome. The ability to shame a Liverpool midfield, and sush the Kop, was also awesome. He has become a sad waste of a talent.

[guest2677]

Surprised to hear Jacob Blyths currently without a club.
Could he still do a job for us?

[Fred_NTFC]

Josh Walker - seem to remember he was incredibly impressive on his loan debut looking a class above, then increasingly poor in his next stint with us. Now at Edinburgh City after a stint in India. Is John Johnson still in India incidentally? He could probably fit in here as well.

Alex Dyer - Though very lightweight looked a really tidy footballer in his early appearances then just faded out & got released before falling into non-league. To be fair he seems to have carved out an okay career for himself in Sweden though.

[BackOfTheNet]

Michael Warner springs to mind, and from the same era "our first million pound player", Christian Lee.

Scott Cross looked like he had something about him too.

[guest3114]

One of the most extreme examples of this I ever saw was that Lee Morris. Once transferred to Derby for a near record for a teenager when they were in the Prem. I saw him play and he was sensational, looked like the next Paul Gascoigne. Next time I saw him he turned up at Sixfields playing for Yeovil and played more like Bamber Gascoigne.

[guest170]

Most of the main ones I think are covered above. Harry Beautyman is one for me, thought he was a great signing but never really did much for us. To be fair I don't think he got a run of games and played out of position

What about ****stan International Kashif Siddiqi?

[BedsCobb]

Alfie Potter scored one of the best goals Ive seen at Sixfields when playing for Oxford, just didn't do it for us.

[everbrite]

Surprised to hear Jacob Blyths currently without a club.
Could he still do a job for us?

Released by Motherwell with mutual consent. Apparently had a brush with the law.

[meccanostand]

Thornton different gravy from the rest of that lot imo.

[clarkeysntfc]

Is John Johnson still in India incidentally? He could probably fit in here as well.

Yes he's still at Bengaluru. https://twitter.com/John6Johnson

[jamie-brett]

Released by Motherwell with mutual consent. Apparently had a brush with the law.

Got himself one of this reality star girlfriends. More chance of seeing him on "ex on the beach" than a football field

[guest3114]

That Martin Singleton turned up at the County Ground with a bit of a fanfare after Richard Hill went to Watford I seem to remember? Didn't really cut it either although was clearly talented.

[Baby Bear]

Whatever happened to Claudio de Vito?

[lordjord]

Toni Silva looked decent for us a few years ago, remember he scored a massive goal for us at Dagenham.

[Wolvo]

Magno Vieira was a player I thought could be a goal poacher for years to come at league level. Another loanee striker I thought would be good, Stuart Noble, but seemingly just disappeared into Scottish football obscurity (albeit with a great goalscoring record). I also thought Brent Rahim looked useful, but just disappeared into obscurity. Didn't we also have the future of Polish football amongst our ranks during the Gary Johnson era?

On the opposite side of the spectrum, Williamson, Anya and Parkin are three players to have better careers than there time here suggested.

[Cordwainer2]

That Martin Singleton turned up at the County Ground with a bit of a fanfare after Richard Hill went to Watford I seem to remember? Didn't really cut it either although was clearly talented.

Singleton was brilliant but got a bad injury and was never the same.

[Carlo Corazzins Corduroy]

Magno Vieira was a player I thought could be a goal poacher for years to come at league level. Another loanee striker I thought would be good, Stuart Noble, but seemingly just disappeared into Scottish football obscurity (albeit with a great goalscoring record). I also thought Brent Rahim looked useful, but just disappeared into obscurity. Didn't we also have the future of Polish football amongst our ranks during the Gary Johnson era?

On the opposite side of the spectrum, Williamson, Anya and Parkin are three players to have better careers than there time here suggested.

Was going to mention Brent Rahim! But to be honest it was so long a go it's difficult to form an objective opinion on him. In my mind he was a technically gifted box-to-box midfielder. It's funny how some players can look to be more than comfortable at a decent level can completely drop out ofthe professional game with once their contract expires. I never rated Ryan Gilligan for instance, but you'd think he'd at least get another League 2 or even a Conf side after racking up 189 appearences for us under numerous managers.

We had two Austrians-Croats on our books with Johnson, Salihu and Pozgain. The latter looked amazing in warm-ups but never got any minutes. Judging by the number of clubs both have appeared for, the cynic in me says there's a dodgy agent involved somewhere. Same with Slowe and Shaddiq, clearly signed with no intention of being played, so there must have been another ulterior incentive for the club.

I'd add Steve Howard, Morison, Kyle Walker and Berahino to that unexpected achievers lit. All really good players for us, but not to that extent. Walker especially, developed into a £50m player yet at the time I rated Mark Little far ahead of him. 

[guest2677]

It's only recently that a majority on here were singing the praises of Ivan Toney with some talking him up as a future premiership player, when we had Calvert Lewin on loan at the same time who no one seemed to fancy, but he was much more direct, quicker and didn't fall over as easily.

[guest3114]

That Martin Singleton turned up at the County Ground with a bit of a fanfare after Richard Hill went to Watford I seem to remember? Didn't really cut it either although was clearly talented.

You're right,  Id forgot about that.