Over the years there have been a number of players dubbed the 'new Maradona' or the 'new Pele' as talented stars get hyped up by agents and newspapers after demonstrating a moment of brilliance in a couple of games. Sometimes these players live up to the hype but occasionally the pressure gets to them and they are dubbed 'flops'. Others had huge expectations placed on them due to their form for previous clubs and large transfer fees. Here are some of the players who just did not really live up to the hype or expectations.
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5. Freddy Adu
Freddy Adu is one of the classic examples of a player who was given too much too soon. Heavily hyped as a future superstar, he was given a professional contract by DC United at the age of 14, making him the youngest player ever to receive a professional footballing contract in the USA. He would then be capped by America at the age of 16 and went on to make 17 appearances. At one time he was looked at by the likes of Liverpool, Manchester United and Real Madrid before ending up at Benfica, where he failed to make any real impact, being shipped out on loan to AS Monaco, Aris F.C, Belenenses and Caykur Rizespor. Adu has now moved to Bahia in Brazil where, at the age of 24, he is looking to recapture the promise that made him one of the world's most sought after players.