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Everybody loves a good comeback story, be it in football or any other sport. There is indeed poetry in watching players who are written off, slammed by critics, and then like Phoenix, rising from the ashes to silence all. Ajinkya Rahane in cricket is probably the biggest example recently. There have been many in football as well.
There have been ample times when football players who were considered past their prime or termed a flop have made an amazing comeback to form. Ronaldo Nazario, the biggest example in world football, when returned after a long-term injury and left the world captivated at the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Mohammed Salah at Liverpool, Luka Modric at Real Madrid, and Kevin De Bryune at Manchester City are some of the football players under this category.
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On that note, let us have a look at football players in Europe who made a return to form in the 2022-23 season
#5 Paulo Dybala
Once the crown jewel of the Old Lady, La Joya bid adieu to Turin and moved to the eternal city of Rome in 2022. When Paulo Dybala joined AS Roma, many believed that 'The Jewel' had lost its shine. For the past few seasons, the Argentine had been abysmal for Juventus. In the 2020-21 season, Dybala struggled with persisting injury issues and had the lowest goal output (4) of his Serie A career.
Football critics and pundits pondered that Roma had got themselves a player who was past his prime now. Maybe all that Dybala needed was a manager who backed him all the way and that's what he got at Roma. Under Jose Mourinho, he regained his confidence and most importantly the joy of playing football and was back to his old self.
The 29-year-old hit form, and scored 18 goal contributions in 25 Serie A matches, his highest since the 2017-18 season (27). He was influential in the Europa League, scoring five times including one in the final, which almost got I Giallorossi their second consecutive European trophy. The Argentine ended the season strongly with 25-goal contributions in 38 matches in all competitions.
It's no surprise that the World Cup winner is attracting interest from suitors in Italy, Spain, and England. Given the release clause in his contract, he might be on the move again.
#4 Marcus Rashford
Born and bred in Manchester, Marcus Rashford broke into Manchester United's first team in the 2015-16 season. He quickly went on to establish himself as one of the most exciting youngsters in the football world.
Rashford was impressive under Jose Mourinho, but when Ole Gunnar Solskjær took the wheel, he started showing his true quality. However, after an impressive 2019-20 season, Rashford's form started to dip.
Plagued with injury issues and inconsistency, Rashford struggled during the 2021-22 season. He found the back of the net just four times in the Premier League and five times in all competitions. Rashford's expected goals in the league dropped drastically from an xG of 19.2 in 2019-20 to 2.9 in the 2021-22 season as per FBRef.
The arrival of Erik ten Hag as the new boss saw a change in fortunes for the England international. The 25-year-old hit form, and was United's main goal-scoring threat throughout the 2022-23 season. His goal-scoring prowess was instrumental in United clinching the 2023 EFL Cup and qualifying for the UEFA Champions League.
Rashford finished the season with astonishing 41 goal contributions in 56 appearances. He became the first United player since Robin van Persie to score 30 goals in a season. He also finished as the joint-top goal scorer with six goals in the UEFA Europa League. The Mancunian is back at the top of his game.
#3 Jack Grealish
Although Jack Grealish's inclusion is going to raise a lot of eyebrows, the turnaround that he did from last year's abysmal campaign, deserves a mention. In the 2021-22 season, Grealish was far from himself. He ended the season with six goal contributions in the league, far less than 16 in his previous campaign with Aston Villa. While Manchester City won the league, Grealish's transfer to City was termed the worst in the Premier League in recent years by many.
The mentality to go from being labeled as a £100 million flop, to being a vital cog in this Pep Guardiola's Manchester City is impeccable. While many would suggest that Grealish still does not possess the numbers, the flair and tenacity which he brings to the team cannot be ignored.
Grealish was a different man this season. He regained his confidence, was not afraid to take on people, and his decision making, especially in the final third improved a lot. This slight change in his game is why he created the most chances (35) in the Champions League this season, 12 more than the nearest player.
The treble winner has had a lot more than his fair share of criticism and credit must go to Pep for keeping his faith in him. The Englishman is enjoying football and has become a certain starter in this Manchester City side, keeping the likes of Riyad Mahrez on the bench.
#2 Marc-André ter Stegen
Marc-André ter Stegen has been immense for Barcelona this season. He has arguably been their best player this season and one of the major reasons they won the La Liga title. The German had been struggling for form for the last couple of seasons, with many echoing that he should be moved on. However, Xavi showed faith and it produced fruitful results.
The former Borussia Mönchengladbach man won the 2022-23 Zamora trophy as he kept 26 clean sheets. In the process, he equaled Francisco Liano's La Liga record for most clean sheets in a single campaign. The German was exceptional in goal, creating a formidable defense, as Barcelona conceded a mere 20 goals in the league. Across Europe's top five leagues (minimum 4+ appearances), he had the joint-best save percentage (82%) and fewest goals conceded per 90 minutes (0.48).
Ter Stegen was recently named 'La Liga Player of the Season.' He is back in the running for being counted as one of the top goalkeepers in world football at the moment.
#1 Antoine Griezmann
You must be living under a rock if you are not aware of Antoine Griezmann's exploits this season. Griezmann moved back to Atletico Madrid from Barcelona two years ago and had an underwhelming 2021-22 season.
This season, the Frenchman returned to his former ways and has just been exceptional for the Los Colchoneros. Griezmann had more goal contributions (31) in La Liga than any other player. He was also the only player to reach double figures for assists, with 16 to his name.
Griezmann also has joint top assists in Europe's top five leagues this season, in company with Lionel Messi and Kevin De Bryune. In La Liga, the 32-year-old topped almost every other stat. He finished the season with the most assists (16), most big chances created (24), most key passes (85), and most MOTM awards (13).
In this new role hybrid role as a midfielder and second striker, Griezmann was also influential in France's run to the World Cup final. The Frenchman is back in form and we cannot wait to see what he has stored in his locker for the next football season.
