10 Football Manager Legends Who Flopped In Real Life
2. Tonton Zola Moukoko
In the game:
A technically gifted midfielder with superb dribbling skills, Moukoko could be picked up from the Derby County youth team for around half a million in Championship Manager 01/02.
In a few years the gifted Congolese-Swedish star would be running rings around any opposition the game could throw at you.
In reality:
Moukoko really was a teenage star from whom much was expected. Having moved to Sweden after the death of his parents as a child, the diminutive young midfielder had been picked up by then-Premier League Derby as a 15 year old.
By the age of 18, Moukoko was close to breaking into the Rams' first team, with AC Milan reportedly keeping tabs on his progress. He was also starting to get a lot of attention from fans even before he had played a senior game, thanks to his stellar reputation in Championship Manager.
Then tragedy struck. Tonton's older brother Fedo, with whom he had moved to Sweden after their parents' death and who had been the guiding influence on the young Tonton's football career, died suddenly.
In an already difficult life, this new tragedy was too much for Moukoko to deal with on top of everything else and prompted him to take a break from the game.
He did return to playing a couple of years later, but never at the same level. With the assistance of big name Swedish manager Sven-Goran Eriksson, Moukoko found a place playing for Carlstad United in Sweden's fourth tier.
He retired from playing a decade ago and now runs his own club in Stockholm - Kongo United - along with using his experience to help talented youngsters find clubs.
Still a legend amongst both the fans and makers of Football Manager, the offices of Sports Interactive have a Tonton Zola Moukoko Meeting Room, which was officially opened by the man himself.