Returning Heroes
After seeing two extremely popular players of great standing returning to their former clubs perhaps going backward is the new forwards…
THEY say ‘never go back’ but the world of football seems to be one of the few places where this phrase is often ignored.
Last week two of the Premier League’s top sides, Manchester United and Arsenal, resigned former players who seemed more than happy to be back in a familiar setting. Paul Scholes made his second debut in an FA Cup win against Manchester City after coming out of retirement just six months after choosing to end his career at Old Trafford.
Four years on from a move to Barcelona, Arsenal’s record goalscorer and current New York Red Bulls forward Thierry Henry agreed a short-term deal to re-sign with the North Londoners during the MLS off-season. Henry made a return to the Gunners team against Leeds United and duly reminded us of his abilities by scoring the winner after coming on as a sub in the second half.
The returns of players of such statues only made the mind more curious…
- Which player would do you wish your club could re-sign?
- How would an ‘icon’ or a ‘legend’ of your club returning make you feel as a supporter who has already once wished them on their way?
- Could a former player returning to their past tarnish their reputation during a second spell at a club?
The idea of resigning twenty players to their former clubs is of course fantasy football, but what if we made it a reality on paper?
Before selecting which players each club would love to make a return to their team…
Arsenal – Seb Larsson
The Swedish midfielder played only three games for Arsenal in his three-year spell at the club before being sold to Birmingham. At 26-years old Larsson is having arguably the best season of his career on Weirside with Sunderland and he would likely be resigned by Arsenal to fill the void of goalscoring winger left by the departure of Samir Nasri.
Aston Villa – Ashley Young
The England midfielder started his career at Manchester United with a string of excellent performances and goals but has recently stalled in his development due to injury and lack of playing time. For Villa, Young spent much of his time as the chief creator for their attacks and chipped in with a reasonable amount of goals after moving from Watford for a fee of around £8m in 2007.
Young only left Villa Park last summer and would be welcomed back with open arms should he fail to establish himself at Old Trafford and in the England setup.
Blackburn Rovers – Roque Santa Cruz
19 goals in 38 games helped the Paraguayan establish himself as a top-flight striker in 2007-8 and convinced Roberto Mancini to spend £17.5m in the summer of 2009 to bring him to Manchester City. Scoring only a hand full of goals for the blues, Santa Cruz returned to Blackburn in a loan spell eighteen months later. He currently plies his trade for Real Betis in Spain and has gone some way to re-finding his goalscoring touch. Fighting for their lives at the bottom of the table, Steve Kean’s Blackburn side could do with his goals to help them escape the bottom of the table.
Bolton Wanderers – Kevin Nolan
Whilst Nolan is unlikely to recreate his spectacular form of the Sam Allardyce era at Bolton, there is little doubt that his abilities to score and create goals would help the club out of their current relegation-bound crisis. Having played a ten-year spell at the club after coming through the academy, he undoubtedly has a tie emotionally to the team despite currently playing for West Ham in the Championship. Although his former and current manager would not want to let him leave Upton Park, could the chance to play in the Premiership once again be something Nolan would turn down, particularly after his form for Newcastle last season?
Chelsea – Ricardo Carvalho
During his six year spell at Stamford Bridge, Carvalho was perhaps the most under-rated defender in the Premier League. Strong, quick and dependable, the Portuguese was a key part of Jose Mourinho’s team before moving to Real Madrid to link up with his former manager.
The central defender has helped the usually cavalier Real Madrid to become more solid since his move in 2010 and it is no coincidence that Chelsea’s defence has been inconsistent since his departure. At 33, Carvalho is almost at the end of his career but he would still be a vital player if he’d remained at Stamford Bridge.
Everton – Joleon Lescott
Since moving from Merseyside in 2009, Lescott has struggled to nail down a regular place in the Manchester City defence. With so many options to choose from and oodles of cash to spend on the very best players in the world, Lescott could be once of the players Mancini decides to dispense with as he plots global domination at the Ettihad.
Although Lescott brought Everton £22m profit when he joined City, there is little doubt that Everton would take him back to help them once again mount a tilt at the top six as they did with him in the side. As a perennial England squad player, Lescott could forge himself a position as a successor to John Terry with regular starts back in a blue shirt.
Fulham – Louis Saha
Saha definitely did some ‘bridge burning’ when he left Fulham for Manchester United 2004, but the moment he began to put the ball back in the net for the Craven Cottage side it is likely that all would be forgotten. Although injuries still tend to get the better of Saha, when fit he has a tremendous record and could help Fulham out as they attempt to push themselves back into the Europa League places once again. Strong, quick and still possessing a good eye for goal, even at 33, Saha is coming to the end of his career but still remains a talented player in the top flight.
Liverpool – Fernando Torres
Torres’ departure from Anfield was largely due to the astronomical £50m that Chelsea were willing to pay for his services. Having been slightly off form returning from the World Cup due to injuries, Kenny Dalglish seemed more than willing to allow Torres to leave in order to bring in order to fund the transfer spree he wanted to go on to stamp his mark on a second spell as manager at Anfield.
Since joining the blue, Torres has looked nothing like the player who scored 65 goals in 102 games for Liverpool, and it is suggested that the differing styles of play between his former and current club are the reason.
There is little doubt of Torres’ talent and perhaps a return to Merseyside would give the 27-year old a boost as he enters the prime of his career.
Manchester City – Richard Dunne
With unlimited finances to sign whoever they wish to, there are few players who fall into the category of re-signings by City who have progressed to the point where they have become a transfer juggernaut in recent years. Former defender Richard Dunne who signed for Villa in 2009 would be one of those players despite former Chief Exec Gary Cook describing Richard Dunne as ‘Hardly the superstar player we are looking for to launch City in the Asian market.’
Whilst at City, Dunne was Mr consistency winning five consecutive player of the year awards and captaining the club under Mark Hughes and Sven Goran Eriksson. Although City’s defensive unit is a solid one with Toure and Kompany protecting Joe Hart, the blues have enough attacking flair to break down their opponents, but little proven cover if one of their top choice players is injured.
Manchester United – Cristiano Ronaldo
Currently setting records for Real Madrid in La Liga, Ronaldo’s departure from Manchester United has perhaps taken years to show its effects. Leaving for world record fee of £80m Ronaldo has been worth every penny to the Spanish side as they seek to claw back some ground on rivals Barcelona.
Despite all his heroics in helping Madrid to win the Spanish Cup, it appears the Ronaldo and Los Merengues are not tied together for life with the player leaving open a possible return to the Premier League. Although there has been interest from Manchester City, it is unlikely that a player who was given a chance to shine at Old Trafford would not want to come back to these shores to play for United, perhaps in an attempt to regain supremacy in their own city.
Newcastle United – Andy Carroll
Although the £35m price tag on his shoulders seems to be weighing Andy Carroll down on Merseyside, there is little doubt that at more familiar home with less pressure hanging over him Carroll would likely regain some confidence and reassure the doubters that he is a player of huge ability. Particularly of need to the Magpies at the moment with the absence of Demba Ba, rumours of a return to Tyneside have circulated during the transfer window. Although it is unlikely Liverpool will allow the forward to leave, Carroll would be a good signing for Pardew at roughly half the price they sold him for.
Norwich – Craig Bellamy
Although he is currently influencing a Liverpool side riding high in the table, there is little doubt that Craig Bellamy must be proud of the achievements of his former club this season. Paul Lambert’s men look set to secure back-to-back spells in the top flight for the first time in the first time in almost twenty years, and would be ably assisted by Bellamy’s Premiership experience as the season wears on. Having made a huge impact after coming through Norwich’s academy, the Canaries couldn’t resist Coventry’s enticing £6.5m offer for the forward back in 2000.
His spell at hometown Cardiff in the Championship least season shows that Bellamy enjoys influencing teams who mean things to him personally and after being inducted into the Norwich hall of fame back in 2002, he might be temped to finish his career in Norfolk where it all began.
Queens Park Rangers – Peter Crouch
Crouch’s recent move to Stoke City makes, a return to former club QPR unlikely but with the financial power of Tony Fernandes, money would clearly be no object were he wish to re-purchase the tall striker. A childhood Rangers fan, Crouch must have been delighted when he moved to Loftus Road in 2000 after being sold by future club Spurs without making an appearance for them. Ten goals in 42 games were not enough to save the club from relegation and after just a season he moved in to Portsmouth.
Years later and Crouch arrived at Stoke where he is an effective part of their tall physical system. QPR would very much like to have his fifteen goal a season abilities to save them from relegation.
Stoke City – Jay Bothroyd
Much travelled striker Bothroyd enjoyed a successful spell at Cardiff between 2008 and 2011 and earned an England cap for his performances, which propelled them towards the brink of promotion. When they failed to make the leap and his contract expired, QPR decided to bring the striker back to London where he began his career with Arsenal. For a brief spell in 2008, Bothroyd spent a loan spell at Stoke City who won promotion with him in their ranks. Although the Potters decided not to progress their interest in the striker, Bothroyd would fit into the club’s system perfectly, although Mark Hughes may feel him an asset to his new regime at Rangers.
Sunderland – Darren Bent
It was something of a surprise when the England striker decided to make a move from Sunderland to Aston Villa, particularly after he helped Steve Bruce’s side by scoring a huge portion of their goals. At Villa, Bent has scored in fits and starts but has yet to become truly prolific in claret and blue. Since himself and Asamoah Gyan left the club, Sunderland have been struggling for goals and with neither Nicolas Bendtner or Connor Wickham with double figures in terms of goals between them, Bent’s return to Wierside would be a blessing for Martin O’Neil’s side.
Swansea City – Darren Pratley
Despite helping the club to earn promotion to the Premier League in 2011, Pratley decided to move on to pastures new when his contract expired at the end of the season. Courted by a host of top-flight teams, Pratley chose to move to Bolton but has yet to establish himself as a first team regular. Into the prime of his career, Pratley would be able to slot back into the Swans system, and after playing nearly 200 games for the Welsh club it is likely that he would be welcomed back.
Tottenham Hotspur – Dimitar Berbatov
The Bulgarian international finished as joint top scorer in the Premier League last season, and how his former club would love some of his goals to help their title challenge in 2011/12. Berbatov is used as a bit-part player at Old Trafford, despite a regular share of goals since his move from White Hart Lane in 2008. He was an extremely popular figure in North London having moved from Bayer Leverkusen, and scoring 28 goals in 70 games, Berbatov is still a player that Harry Redknapp would like in his team.
West Bromwich Albion – Kim Do Heon
Little known when he arrived at West Brom in 2008, the South Korean midfielder impressed in a loan spell before joining the Baggies permanently in 2008. He spent just one season in England before returning to his homeland with the Suwon Bluewings. A regular for the national team, and twice a cup winner with the Bluewings, Heon is more experienced than when first moved to the Premiership and would likely fit into a team of technically good players more ably second time around.
Wigan Athletic – Titus Bramble
The central defender may be going through a tough time on Weirside at the moment, but perhaps the most settled period of his career was at Wigan when he joined the club in 2007. A more assured and matured figure, Bramble made his way to the fringes of the England set-up with some extremely calming performances for a struggling Wigan side. Throwing off the shackles of his haphazard defensive displays as a Newcastle player, Bramble became one of the most improved players in the Premiership.
Wolverhampton Wanderers – Robbie Keane
Currently on loan another Midlands club in Villa from the LA Galaxy, Keane is widely regarded as one of Wolves greatest ever products after coming through their academy in 1999. A recent nomadic spell, which included loans at Celtic and West Ham, saw him fail to break into the Spurs team after returning for a second spell in 2009. After breaking through into the Wolves team, Keane went on to represent his country at the highest level, and even at age 31 he could provide some cover for strikes Doyle and Fletcher as the club seeks survival once again.
THEY say ‘never go back’ but the world of football seems to be one of the few places where this phrase is often ignored.
Last week two of the Premier League’s top sides, Manchester United and Arsenal, resigned former players who seemed more than happy to be back in a familiar setting. Paul Scholes made his second debut in an FA Cup win against Manchester City after coming out of retirement just six months after choosing to end his career at Old Trafford.
Four years on from a move to Barcelona, Arsenal’s record goalscorer and current New York Red Bulls forward Thierry Henry agreed a short-term deal to re-sign with the North Londoners during the MLS off-season. Henry made a return to the Gunners team against Leeds United and duly reminded us of his abilities by scoring the winner after coming on as a sub in the second half.
The returns of players of such statues only made the mind more curious…
- Which player would do you wish your club could re-sign?
- How would an ‘icon’ or a ‘legend’ of your club returning make you feel as a supporter who has already once wished them on their way?
- Could a former player returning to their past tarnish their reputation during a second spell at a club?
The idea of resigning twenty players to their former clubs is of course fantasy football, but what if we made it a reality on paper?
Before selecting which players each club would love to make a return to their team…
- There has to be a ‘realistic’ chance of the player returning to the club. Burnt bridges can be repaired but leaving in controversial circumstances and then further damaging your standing with a previous club makes a return somewhat unlikely. Realistically Arsenal fans would be unlikely to accept Adebayor back at the Emirates after his full-length sprint goal celebration two seasons ago.
- This also means that players who have moved from ‘smaller’ clubs to ‘bigger’ stages are unlikely to come back to their former employers. Even if Blackburn would want to resign Phil Jones it is unlikely that United would even consider an offer for him from Rovers.
- The player would have to be effective if they signed TODAY. Chelsea would love to re-sign Gianfranco Zola in his prime; sadly they don’t possess the time machine necessary for that to happen.
Arsenal – Seb Larsson
The Swedish midfielder played only three games for Arsenal in his three-year spell at the club before being sold to Birmingham. At 26-years old Larsson is having arguably the best season of his career on Weirside with Sunderland and he would likely be resigned by Arsenal to fill the void of goalscoring winger left by the departure of Samir Nasri.
Aston Villa – Ashley Young
The England midfielder started his career at Manchester United with a string of excellent performances and goals but has recently stalled in his development due to injury and lack of playing time. For Villa, Young spent much of his time as the chief creator for their attacks and chipped in with a reasonable amount of goals after moving from Watford for a fee of around £8m in 2007.
Young only left Villa Park last summer and would be welcomed back with open arms should he fail to establish himself at Old Trafford and in the England setup.
Blackburn Rovers – Roque Santa Cruz
19 goals in 38 games helped the Paraguayan establish himself as a top-flight striker in 2007-8 and convinced Roberto Mancini to spend £17.5m in the summer of 2009 to bring him to Manchester City. Scoring only a hand full of goals for the blues, Santa Cruz returned to Blackburn in a loan spell eighteen months later. He currently plies his trade for Real Betis in Spain and has gone some way to re-finding his goalscoring touch. Fighting for their lives at the bottom of the table, Steve Kean’s Blackburn side could do with his goals to help them escape the bottom of the table.
Bolton Wanderers – Kevin Nolan
Whilst Nolan is unlikely to recreate his spectacular form of the Sam Allardyce era at Bolton, there is little doubt that his abilities to score and create goals would help the club out of their current relegation-bound crisis. Having played a ten-year spell at the club after coming through the academy, he undoubtedly has a tie emotionally to the team despite currently playing for West Ham in the Championship. Although his former and current manager would not want to let him leave Upton Park, could the chance to play in the Premiership once again be something Nolan would turn down, particularly after his form for Newcastle last season?
Chelsea – Ricardo Carvalho
During his six year spell at Stamford Bridge, Carvalho was perhaps the most under-rated defender in the Premier League. Strong, quick and dependable, the Portuguese was a key part of Jose Mourinho’s team before moving to Real Madrid to link up with his former manager.
The central defender has helped the usually cavalier Real Madrid to become more solid since his move in 2010 and it is no coincidence that Chelsea’s defence has been inconsistent since his departure. At 33, Carvalho is almost at the end of his career but he would still be a vital player if he’d remained at Stamford Bridge.
Everton – Joleon Lescott
Since moving from Merseyside in 2009, Lescott has struggled to nail down a regular place in the Manchester City defence. With so many options to choose from and oodles of cash to spend on the very best players in the world, Lescott could be once of the players Mancini decides to dispense with as he plots global domination at the Ettihad.
Although Lescott brought Everton £22m profit when he joined City, there is little doubt that Everton would take him back to help them once again mount a tilt at the top six as they did with him in the side. As a perennial England squad player, Lescott could forge himself a position as a successor to John Terry with regular starts back in a blue shirt.
Fulham – Louis Saha
Saha definitely did some ‘bridge burning’ when he left Fulham for Manchester United 2004, but the moment he began to put the ball back in the net for the Craven Cottage side it is likely that all would be forgotten. Although injuries still tend to get the better of Saha, when fit he has a tremendous record and could help Fulham out as they attempt to push themselves back into the Europa League places once again. Strong, quick and still possessing a good eye for goal, even at 33, Saha is coming to the end of his career but still remains a talented player in the top flight.
Liverpool – Fernando Torres
Torres’ departure from Anfield was largely due to the astronomical £50m that Chelsea were willing to pay for his services. Having been slightly off form returning from the World Cup due to injuries, Kenny Dalglish seemed more than willing to allow Torres to leave in order to bring in order to fund the transfer spree he wanted to go on to stamp his mark on a second spell as manager at Anfield.
Since joining the blue, Torres has looked nothing like the player who scored 65 goals in 102 games for Liverpool, and it is suggested that the differing styles of play between his former and current club are the reason.
There is little doubt of Torres’ talent and perhaps a return to Merseyside would give the 27-year old a boost as he enters the prime of his career.
Manchester City – Richard Dunne
With unlimited finances to sign whoever they wish to, there are few players who fall into the category of re-signings by City who have progressed to the point where they have become a transfer juggernaut in recent years. Former defender Richard Dunne who signed for Villa in 2009 would be one of those players despite former Chief Exec Gary Cook describing Richard Dunne as ‘Hardly the superstar player we are looking for to launch City in the Asian market.’
Whilst at City, Dunne was Mr consistency winning five consecutive player of the year awards and captaining the club under Mark Hughes and Sven Goran Eriksson. Although City’s defensive unit is a solid one with Toure and Kompany protecting Joe Hart, the blues have enough attacking flair to break down their opponents, but little proven cover if one of their top choice players is injured.
Manchester United – Cristiano Ronaldo
Currently setting records for Real Madrid in La Liga, Ronaldo’s departure from Manchester United has perhaps taken years to show its effects. Leaving for world record fee of £80m Ronaldo has been worth every penny to the Spanish side as they seek to claw back some ground on rivals Barcelona.
Despite all his heroics in helping Madrid to win the Spanish Cup, it appears the Ronaldo and Los Merengues are not tied together for life with the player leaving open a possible return to the Premier League. Although there has been interest from Manchester City, it is unlikely that a player who was given a chance to shine at Old Trafford would not want to come back to these shores to play for United, perhaps in an attempt to regain supremacy in their own city.
Newcastle United – Andy Carroll
Although the £35m price tag on his shoulders seems to be weighing Andy Carroll down on Merseyside, there is little doubt that at more familiar home with less pressure hanging over him Carroll would likely regain some confidence and reassure the doubters that he is a player of huge ability. Particularly of need to the Magpies at the moment with the absence of Demba Ba, rumours of a return to Tyneside have circulated during the transfer window. Although it is unlikely Liverpool will allow the forward to leave, Carroll would be a good signing for Pardew at roughly half the price they sold him for.
Norwich – Craig Bellamy
Although he is currently influencing a Liverpool side riding high in the table, there is little doubt that Craig Bellamy must be proud of the achievements of his former club this season. Paul Lambert’s men look set to secure back-to-back spells in the top flight for the first time in the first time in almost twenty years, and would be ably assisted by Bellamy’s Premiership experience as the season wears on. Having made a huge impact after coming through Norwich’s academy, the Canaries couldn’t resist Coventry’s enticing £6.5m offer for the forward back in 2000.
His spell at hometown Cardiff in the Championship least season shows that Bellamy enjoys influencing teams who mean things to him personally and after being inducted into the Norwich hall of fame back in 2002, he might be temped to finish his career in Norfolk where it all began.
Queens Park Rangers – Peter Crouch
Crouch’s recent move to Stoke City makes, a return to former club QPR unlikely but with the financial power of Tony Fernandes, money would clearly be no object were he wish to re-purchase the tall striker. A childhood Rangers fan, Crouch must have been delighted when he moved to Loftus Road in 2000 after being sold by future club Spurs without making an appearance for them. Ten goals in 42 games were not enough to save the club from relegation and after just a season he moved in to Portsmouth.
Years later and Crouch arrived at Stoke where he is an effective part of their tall physical system. QPR would very much like to have his fifteen goal a season abilities to save them from relegation.
Stoke City – Jay Bothroyd
Much travelled striker Bothroyd enjoyed a successful spell at Cardiff between 2008 and 2011 and earned an England cap for his performances, which propelled them towards the brink of promotion. When they failed to make the leap and his contract expired, QPR decided to bring the striker back to London where he began his career with Arsenal. For a brief spell in 2008, Bothroyd spent a loan spell at Stoke City who won promotion with him in their ranks. Although the Potters decided not to progress their interest in the striker, Bothroyd would fit into the club’s system perfectly, although Mark Hughes may feel him an asset to his new regime at Rangers.
Sunderland – Darren Bent
It was something of a surprise when the England striker decided to make a move from Sunderland to Aston Villa, particularly after he helped Steve Bruce’s side by scoring a huge portion of their goals. At Villa, Bent has scored in fits and starts but has yet to become truly prolific in claret and blue. Since himself and Asamoah Gyan left the club, Sunderland have been struggling for goals and with neither Nicolas Bendtner or Connor Wickham with double figures in terms of goals between them, Bent’s return to Wierside would be a blessing for Martin O’Neil’s side.
Swansea City – Darren Pratley
Despite helping the club to earn promotion to the Premier League in 2011, Pratley decided to move on to pastures new when his contract expired at the end of the season. Courted by a host of top-flight teams, Pratley chose to move to Bolton but has yet to establish himself as a first team regular. Into the prime of his career, Pratley would be able to slot back into the Swans system, and after playing nearly 200 games for the Welsh club it is likely that he would be welcomed back.
Tottenham Hotspur – Dimitar Berbatov
The Bulgarian international finished as joint top scorer in the Premier League last season, and how his former club would love some of his goals to help their title challenge in 2011/12. Berbatov is used as a bit-part player at Old Trafford, despite a regular share of goals since his move from White Hart Lane in 2008. He was an extremely popular figure in North London having moved from Bayer Leverkusen, and scoring 28 goals in 70 games, Berbatov is still a player that Harry Redknapp would like in his team.
West Bromwich Albion – Kim Do Heon
Little known when he arrived at West Brom in 2008, the South Korean midfielder impressed in a loan spell before joining the Baggies permanently in 2008. He spent just one season in England before returning to his homeland with the Suwon Bluewings. A regular for the national team, and twice a cup winner with the Bluewings, Heon is more experienced than when first moved to the Premiership and would likely fit into a team of technically good players more ably second time around.
Wigan Athletic – Titus Bramble
The central defender may be going through a tough time on Weirside at the moment, but perhaps the most settled period of his career was at Wigan when he joined the club in 2007. A more assured and matured figure, Bramble made his way to the fringes of the England set-up with some extremely calming performances for a struggling Wigan side. Throwing off the shackles of his haphazard defensive displays as a Newcastle player, Bramble became one of the most improved players in the Premiership.
Wolverhampton Wanderers – Robbie Keane
Currently on loan another Midlands club in Villa from the LA Galaxy, Keane is widely regarded as one of Wolves greatest ever products after coming through their academy in 1999. A recent nomadic spell, which included loans at Celtic and West Ham, saw him fail to break into the Spurs team after returning for a second spell in 2009. After breaking through into the Wolves team, Keane went on to represent his country at the highest level, and even at age 31 he could provide some cover for strikes Doyle and Fletcher as the club seeks survival once again.