10 Most Ridiculously Underrated Ex Premier League Stars
Oh yeah, he was really good actually...
It's a cruel game; at least that's how the cliche goes. One lapse in concentration and the game is lost. One bad injury and your career is over. Football isn't fair sometimes. On one hand a portal to fame, fortune and sleeping with your team mate's wife; on the other, a life of all too public clangers, ignominy and embarrassment.
The Premier League has catapulted hundreds of players to super-stardom and mega riches they've spent on trampolines and cars they can't legally drive on British roads. Others, for all the talent they had, drifted mercilessly into obscurity no matter what their awards or their accolades. They might still have their healthy bank accounts, but where is the love?
This article is dedicated to those lost souls. The one's who played for an unfashionable team, missed the big time through injury, or just bafflingly somehow don't get the credit they deserve.
Some have won titles, others spent their careers keeping average clubs from relegation. Which of those things you think is more impressive probably depends on who you support. This article shines a light on their achievements in the hope that someone, somewhere will take notice of their claims to eternal brilliance.
10. Georgi Kinkladze
Kinkladze was a Georgian footballer (already a bad start) best known for his time with Manchester City and Derby County. Arriving at City in 1995, he was one of the earlier foreign imports to the Premier League, and his unpredictable talents were perfect for an attacking midfield role.
Dribbling was always Kinkladze's forte. He is best remembered for the mazy run, ending with a chipped finish over the keeper in a '96 match against Southampton. This wasn't his only great finish. He became known for individual moments of brilliance on a consistent basis.
Unfortunately for Kinkladze, he didn't play for the best teams. City were far from the powerhouse they are today, and the 95/96 season ended in relegation. At that stage he could have signed for Barcelona, Liverpool or Inter Milan but chose to stay on, only for the next season to end in another relegation.
If he'd have jumped ship, who knows what he might have achieved.