10 Footballing Wonderkids Who Never Reached Their Potential

4. Kerlon

One of the biggest Brazilian prospects that was known mainly for one useless skill: the seal dribble (as shown above). Kerlon was in some ways a little too flashy and this led to opposing defenders attempting to hurt him, in some cases by way of elbow to the face. The aforementioned seal dribble caught the eye of many and after making 26 league appearances for Brazilian side Cruizeiro, Kerlon went on to be snapped up by Italian side Internazionale in 2008. However, for Inter, Kerlon didn't make even make one solitary appearance. Whilst contracted to the Italian giants, Kerlon was sent to four separate clubs and made just five appearances between them. He was soon offloaded by Inter after four unsuccessful years. Kerlon now plies his trade in Japan after signing a free transfer with Fujieda MYFC (no, me neither). It would be pretty bad to think Kerlon was playing for a first tier Japanese side, or even a second tier Japanese side - but no, Kerlon is now at a third tier side in Japan. Although he is just 25, it is unlikely that the Brazilian will be able to resurrect his career and sign for another top team like Inter in the future. Current Status: First team player for Japanese third division side Fujieda MYFC. What He Could Have Been: First team player for Inter Milan and Brazil international.
Contributor
Contributor

University student at UEA, Norwich. Breaking Bad junkie, MMA fan and long time admirer of Gatusso's beard.