Sometimes, the grass really isn't greener on the other side, and Eiður Guðjohnsen soon discovered that much to his chagrin in 2009. Following a three-year spell at Barcelona, Guðjohnsen moved to Monaco in search of more frequent first team opportunities having seen his playing time dwindle under Pep Guardiola. However, he soon discovered he had the same problems in France, and the forward failed to settle in Monaco and suffered with inconsistent performances. So wretched was Guðjohnsen's time in Ligue 1 that he was loaned out to Tottenham Hotspur less than five months after moving to the south of France and was sold to Stoke City having made only nine appearances for Monaco. Guðjohnsen found himself playing for Stoke's reserves and made only five substitute appearances for the Potters before he was on the move again, joining Fulham on loan. By that point, his time spent playing for Barcelona at the highest levels of club football must have seemed light years ago.
Joseph is an accredited football journalist and has interviewed nearly all of the current 20 Barclay's Premier League managers. He is also a correspondent for Bleacher Report and has written for Caught Offside and Give Me Football.
