4 players who have declined dramatically

Talk of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo finally hitting a decline has been going around for years now but let’s be honest, it hasn’t really happened yet as both men continue to play some amazing football season after season.

For other big-name players though, that isn’t the case. Everyone has to decline at some point; whether it’s down to wear-and-tear, a loss of form or simply father time catching up with them. Recently though, these following players have really hit a slide in their career – and the likelihood of them returning to their previous glory seems slim.

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#1 Petr Cech

Petr Cech has begun to make serious errors for Arsenal

Back in his prime during his days at Chelsea, Petr Cech was widely considered one of the best goalkeepers in the world, the backbone of the imperious Blues defence under Jose Mourinho that won back-to-back Premier League titles. And despite being 33 when Arsenal signed him in 2015, the move was still seen as a fantastic one for the Gunners.

Now though, three seasons on, Cech is beginning to look as rusty as former Arsenal keeper David Seaman did as he began to reach the end of his career in the early 2000s. In his prime, a mistake from Cech was as rare to see as a scorpion kick, but in 2017/18 the veteran keeper made 6 individual errors that led directly to goals conceded.

With new boss Unai Emery now in charge of the Gunners, it’s surely time for Cech to be phased out of the #1 spot between the sticks at the Emirates. Arsenal simply cannot afford to have such a liability as their last line of defence, and despite a glittering career, only a fool would deny that Cech is a keeper in decline.

#2 Arjen Robben

Flying forward Arjen Robben seems to have begun to slow down

Fleet-footed Dutch forward Arjen Robben was once one of the most feared attacking players in the entire game. Able to use his incredible speed and ball control to easily dribble past most defenders, Robben terrorized opponents all over Europe - from the Premier League with Chelsea to La Liga with Real Madrid and finally the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich.

Despite recently signing a contract extension with Bayern though, Robben’s decline in 2017/18 was alarming. He only managed 5 Bundesliga goals all season – a drop from 13 in 2016/17, and his assist rate also dropped from 9 in 2016/17 to just 5. And his dangerous dribbling style seems to have declined, too – he made just 1.2 dribbles per game in 2017/18, compared to a career-high 4.5 per game in 2014/15.

Essentially Robben is a classic case of time and age simply not being kind to his style. While he clearly has something left to offer – hence Bayern keeping him around for another season at least - the truth is that the fleet-footed style that served him so well over the years is gone for the most part due to his advanced age (he turns 35 in January) and various injuries.

#3 Michael Keane

Michael Keane hasn't looked like the same player since moving to Everton

It’s hard to believe that just over a year ago – after England’s solid showing in a friendly match with Germany – that defender Michael Keane was seen as almost a certainty to be heading to the World Cup with the Three Lions, potentially as a starter too. After a disastrous decline after moving from Burnley to Everton last summer though, he’s fallen completely off the international radar and will now be desperate to salvage his career.

Quite what caused such a rapid decline in a relatively young player – Keane is still only 25 years old – is almost hard to say. Stats suggest that Keane made a similar amount of tackles, clearances and blocks last season with Everton to the amount he made with Burnley in the previous season, but he simply never looked comfortable at the back with the Toffees.

Whether that was down to the management style of Ronald Koeman and then Sam Allardyce, an inability to step up in terms of club size, or difficulty in gelling with a new defensive partner (usually Ashley Williams) remains somewhat of a mystery, but Keane’s decline last season was hugely disappointing. Whether this talented player can turn it around next season still remains a question mark.

#4 Joe Hart

Joe Hart made a major gaffe against Stoke in April

When Gareth Southgate’s England squad was announced for the upcoming World Cup, the fact that veteran goalkeeper Joe Hart – England’s #1 for the last three major tournaments – was axed, summed up his dramatic decline over the last couple of years. Once considered one of Europe’s best goalkeepers, various errors and gaffes during recent seasons have left him almost a laughing stock amongst some fans.

Hart’s decline really began back in 2015/16 when Manuel Pellegrini was in charge at Manchester City, as he began to make errors more regularly than ever and was dropped from the first team at times, but a disastrous Euro 2016 campaign with England that saw him concede weak goals against Wales and Iceland signalled the beginning of the end.

When Pep Guardiola took over at City that summer, Hart was allowed to move to Torino on loan; the reason given was that Guardiola had concerns over his ball-playing skills, but his 2017/18 season on loan at West Ham has shown Hart has more issues than that. He kept just 4 clean sheets all season and made 4 errors that led directly to goals – including his awful gaffe against Stoke in April.

Simply put, Hart’s decline has been both dramatic and alarming to watch, to the point where if he ends up leaving City this summer, it’s hard to see a Premier League side who would be willing to take a chance on him.

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Any player whom you would want to add to the list? Tell us in the comments below!