Liverpool: 10 Highly-Rated Talents Who Threw It All Away

3. Robbie Fowler

For a man nicknamed 'God' by Liverpool fans, it may be surprising to see Fowler on this list. He was one of the most gifted players the club had ever seen in front of goal, showing so much calmness when in one-on-one situations. Fowler was loved by Reds fans and quickly became a cult hero at the club. However, when boss Gerard Houllier strengthened his attacking options by signing Emile Heskey and Jari Litmanen, it saw the academy graduate pushed to the back of the pecking order and he eventually left for Leeds United in 2001. It baffled football fans why Fowler did leave Anfield - he was clearly the best strike option they had at the time with Michael Owen as Heskey was inconsistent and Litmanen was ageing. Fowler didn't do much at Leeds nor at Manchester City and his career never recovered from the move away. It would have been better if he had fought for his place. He clearly had the class to do so, which everyone knew and instead saw his career quickly go on a down-slide.