30 most overrated footballers of all time

Nani could never match the standards set by Cristiano Ronaldo

10) Ricardo Quaresma

Quaresma has played for 8 diffierent clubs in his career

17-year-old Ricardo Quaresma was a highly talented Portuguese youngster, poised to follow the footsteps of Portuguese legend Luis Figo. His performances in Sporting CP attracted interest from top clubs like Barcelona and Inter Milan. Injury-ravaged season, inconsistency and selfishness on the ball saw him fall down the pecking order in each of the clubs he played in.

Unable to see a future in Besiktas, he was shipped off to Dubai, marking an all-time low in his career.

9) Jack Wilshere

Jack wilshere
Wilshere has spent a lot of time out injured

The Three Lions have a knack for hyping young talent lurking on the fringes of a national team call-up. They did it with Theo Walcott in 2006 and Jack Wilshere followed suit in 2010. The midfielder often struggles against tall defenders and failed to score a single goal in the 2012-13 Premier League season, despite making over 20 appearances for Arsenal.

For a player considered to be the future of English midfield, Jack has failed to stay fit and perform on a consistent basis. As the article is being written, Wilshere has just started playing for Arsenal again, after spending a fair amount of time in the doctor’s office.

8) Martin Demichelis

The Argentina defender has played alongside some of the biggest names in football

One of the slowest defenders to have played football, the Argentina veteran was highly enthusiastic and energetic on the pitch. However, he is capable of making the most crucial mistake whenever he suffers his frequent drop in concentration.

From being outplayed by Ozil in the World Cup Final to being schooled by Marcus Rashford in the Manchester derby, Demichelis is known for his blunders than his brilliance. He has played for some of the biggest clubs in Europe (Bayern Munich and Manchester City) despite making only 50 appearances for his national team.

At the age of 35, he continues to surprise everyone and make a living out of something which he is not great.

7) Stephan El Shaarawy

The Italian lost his place in the starting XI at the mere age of 22

When the forward broke into AC Milan’s starting XI, he was seen more as a breath of fresh air. A promising homegrown talent making a mark with the best Italian club, life was good for the winger. After a decent debut season, Shaaraway was given regular starts and made the most of his opportunities.

Since 2013, the player with the mohawk saw a drastic drop in form and lost his place to Mario Balotelli. He may be a youngster with talent, but he needs to show far greater consistency before he can justify his massive reputation.

6) Milan Baros

The forward offered very little after a stunning Euro 2004 campaign

For a striker with 41 international goals in 93 appearances, it is surprising to see the Czech Republic international this far up in the list. Baros’ sheer mediocrity during his club career has propelled him up to a top ten spot. After an exception Euro 2004 campaign, much was expected from the then Liverpool forward.

What followed next was one of the biggest disappointments in recent times. He mustered 19 league goals for the Anfield club averaging a goal every 320 minutes, shocking for an international striker's standard. In 2005, he was offloaded to Aston Villa and struggled to make an impact ever since.

Quick Links

Edited by Staff Editor
Sportskeeda logo
Close menu
WWE
WWE
NBA
NBA
NFL
NFL
MMA
MMA
Tennis
Tennis
NHL
NHL
Golf
Golf
MLB
MLB
Soccer
Soccer
F1
F1
WNBA
WNBA
More
More
bell-icon Manage notifications