10 Football Wonderkids Who Failed Miserably

3. Sebastian Deisler

The story of Sebastian Deisler is a sad one, a cautionary tale of how the constant pressure of top level football can take its toll on someone's mental and physical state. At the turn of the millennium, Deisler was hailed as the young saviour of German football, He described by none other than Franz Beckenbauer as "physically and technically the best in Germany". Thrust into the midst of a relegation battle with Borussia Monchengladbach, the young midfielder was given high praise for his excellent performances in a side that ultimately suffered relegation from the Bundesliga. In the scramble for the 19-year-old's signature that followed, Hertha Berlin won out. It might seem crazy now, but back in the 1999/00 season, Hertha were in the Champions League. The chance to showcase his talent on Europe's biggest stage was an opportunity he just couldn't turn down. He impressed for Hertha even though frequent injury troubles - including a long term anterior cruciate ligament injury - limited his appearances. Despite his problems, Bavarian giants Bayern Munich saw enough in him to believe he could replace outgoing legend Steffen Effenberg. Unfortunately injuries again took their toll and he only made 62 appearances in his four years at Bayern. After suffering numerous career threatening injuries, Deisler admitted that he was struggling with depression in 2003. He made several attempts to make a sustained comeback but injuries, exhaustion, and relapses in his mental state caused him to finally retire at the age of just 27, stating that he just was not built for a life in professional football. Had things been different, had he had more luck with injuries, Deisler could still be playing today (he's 36). Instead his great talent flickered only briefly and he has watched on while his contemporaries have resurrected German football.