10 Players Who Did Nothing At Arsenal (But Excelled For Their Country)

1. Davor Suker

At Arsenal, Davor Suker was a disappointment. His goalscoring exploits for both Real Madrid and Croatia promised much when Arsene Wenger decided to bring him to Highbury in 1999, but the former Sevilla hit-man failed to settle in England, registering just eleven goals in 39 appearances during his sole campaign in north London. A particular lowlight occurred during the 2000 UEFA Cup final, when he appeared as an extra-time substitute and subsequently missed a crucial penalty in the shoot-out against Galatasaray. Having made his debut for the newly-founded Croatian national side in December 1990, Suker quickly established himself as one of the most prolific marksmen in international football. He led Croatia to Euro 1996 with a then-record haul of 12 goals in 10 qualifying matches - a record that would stand for a decade until David Healy surpassed him. He proceeded to score three goals in four matches at the finals, including a wonder strike over Danish goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel, which is still regarded as one of the greatest goals in Euro history. Suker was subsequently named in the Euro 1996 Team of the Tournament. He went on to score five goals in nine appearances as Croatia qualified for the 1998 World Cup, where he truly announced his stardom by scoring six goals in seven matches as the Eastern European side came within a whisker of reaching the final. Suker scooped the Golden Boot as a result and was awarded the Silver Ball award as the second best player at the tournament after the Brazilian Ronaldo. The six-time Croatian Footballer of the Year was also named in the World Cup All-Star Team, and finished as the runner-up for the Ballon d€™Or award that year. While the Croats failed in their mission to qualify for Euro 2000, Suker€™s last tournament came in the form of the 2002 World Cup where he played just 63 minutes before calling time on a fruitful international career. With 69 caps, he is the sixth most-capped Croat of all time, but his true legacy lies with his goalscoring record of 45 strikes - a tally that most likely won€™t be beaten for some time, with former Gunner Eduardo€™s the nearest challenger with 29. So that's a wrap - do you agree? As always, feel free to leave your thoughts and opinions in the comment section below.