Still just 28, the Ghana-born striker remarkably featured in a D.C. The billing of Adu as "the next Pele" proved to be well wide of the mark, but he went on to play for a number of MLS sides and represented the United States on 17 occasions. His career took him to Europe, where he played for a number of clubs, such as Benfica, Monaco and KuPS, and he also had a spell in Brazil with Bahia.Īdu was most recently playing in the United Soccer League with Tampa Bay Rowdies, but he is currently out of contract and searching for a new club. The hype was picked up on across the world and Adu's potential was reflected in Championship Manager 4, but, as reality began to set in, the forward became less of an attraction in subsequent games. Keirrison is now 28 years of age and he is back where he began his career at Coritiba.įreddy Adu came to prominence at the tender age of 14 when he signed a deal with Major League Soccer and was selected first overall by D.C. ![]() After that, he sought a return to Brazil, which heralded the end of his European exploits. Loaned out to Benfica immediately after his arrival, he struggled to make an impact in Portugal and the same story played out when he joined Serie A side Fiorentina on loan. He had impressed as a youngster with Coritiba and Palmeiras, but Keirrison did not reach the heights expected of him in Catalunya. His attributes in Football Manager chimed with the 19-year-old's confidence. When Keirrison arrived at Barcelona in July 2009, he came with high hopes, identifying a place in Pep Guardiola's first-team as his main goal. Kallstrom is now 35 and he is still playing, having returned to Sweden in order to join Allskenskan side Djurgarden, who are one of his former clubs. Nevertheless, he matured into an integral player for Sweden, earning 131 caps and scoring 16 goals before retiring from international duty after Euro 2016. Unlike Cherno Samba, whose career trajectory fell far short of the predictions in CM 01/02, Kallstrom went on to play for the likes of Lyon, Spartak Moscow and Arsenal, but he was probably just below the level expected of him in the game. Aspiring managers could pluck Kallstrom from Swedish obscurity and throw him straight into their team, which could be constructed around the midfielder's impressive ability. Kim Kallstrom was identified as a wonderkid from his days at Swedish outfit BK Hacken, where, at the age of 17, he could be scooped up for next to nothing in Championship Manager 01/02. Now 30, he can look back on a journey that took him to a number of decent European clubs, including Fiorentina, Stuttgart, Malaga and Inter. Kuzmanovic is still playing - he is currently back on the books at Basel, where he started out - and, while his career did not follow the path charted out in many Football Manager games, he still became one of the best Serbian players of his generation. Zdravko Kuzmanovic was considered one of the hottest prospects in Football Manager 09, where he inevitably developed into one of the best midfielders in the game. He finished his career in Norway with FK Tonsberg and his status as a legend of the video game was recognised in a television advertisement for Football Manager 2017. Samba spent time in Spain, Finland and Greece, playing for clubs such as Cadiz, Haka and Panetolikos. Now 31, Samba is retired, having made the decision to hang up his boots in 2015, and, while his career didn't take off how many hoped it would, he still represented England at all youth levels, as well as earning four senior caps with Gambia. ![]() Samba was not only equipped with phenomenal attributes in the game, but, due to his relative obscurity, he was also available to buy at a bargain price, which made him all the more appealing to virtual managers. Goal takes a look at some of the most memorable Football Manager wonderkids and how their careers really turned out.Ĭherno Samba was destined to become one of England's all-time best goalscorers in Championship Manager 01/02 but the former Millwall youth player did not quite achieve that legendary status in real life. Scouting the world in the hope of discovering the next Zinedine Zidane, Gianluigi Buffon or Ronaldo has always been part of the game's allure, but, for every instance of Lionel Messi, there are many more who failed to live up to their Football Manager potential.Įven if they didn't quite live up to their virtual billing, many went on to forge respectable careers, while some have even become cult heroes for fans of the game.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |