10 Championship Manager Cult Heroes
1. Cherno Samba
Finally, the man who inspired this article to be written. Cherno Samba recently retired, and he's up there with Freddy Adu in the 'what could have been?' stakes. Samba was a much-touted English striker, something which one assumes would happen if you score 132 goals in 32 games for a side. For those who are wondering, that is loads of games each game. Samba was snapped up by Millwall, and the rest is history.
Really, really disappointing history.
He may have represented England at every youth level up to under-21, but that was as good as it got for Cherno. His entire career lasted something like 52 games, with only 15 goals to show for that. One of those goals was an international strike though, although this didn't come for the Three Lions of England. No, it came for The Gambia. Samba retired recently, aged 29.
In Championship Manager, you would snap the boy up quick-sharp and unleash this Super Heskey on unwitting defences, guaranteeing yourself goals and goals and goals, as well as success and luxury and probably more goals.
One lovely aside however, is that at one moment Samba was attempting to upgrade his phone and was told he'd have to wait 2-3 months. After realising who he was dealing with, the operator changed the delivery time to next day. Championship Manager has changed lives, it has bettered lives, it has made lives.