11 Extremely Talented Premier League Footballers That Were Ruined By Injuries

11. Craig Gordon

Though 32 year-old Craig Gordon currently plays for Scotland's biggest club and can boast 43 international caps, it could have been so much more. The Celtic shot-stopper was hot property back in 2007, after impressing between the sticks for Hearts for several years. Premier League outfit Sunderland decided to pay a British record fee for a goalkeeper (£9m), and brought the then 24 year-old to Wearisde - fending off interest from Manchester City.

Though he made 34 league appearances in his debut season at Sunderland, Gordon began to have serious injury problems. As well as breaking his arm, the Scottish international had multiple knee injuries which limited him to just 95 appearances in five years on Wearside. 

After spending two years as a free agent when he left Sunderland in 2012, Gordon was eventually snapped up by SPL champions Celtic. He has since made 70 appearances for the Glasgow club, and has even been recalled to the Scotland squad. 

In spite of rebuilding his reputation somewhat in the last couple of years, many feel Gordon's potential was barely tapped into due to how much time he spent on the treatment table.