Footballers often play for various different clubs in their career. Sometimes their journey at club doesn’t particularly have a fairy- tale ending. There are various reasons why players don’t do well at certain clubs. They could be unlucky with injuries, have problems settling into their new environment or they just couldn’t adapt to the managers playing style. Things like a change of manager and pressure also play a role in determining the success of a players career.‘Failure is a stepping stone to success and some footballers have proved that and gone on to achieve bigger and better things in their careers after previous failures.They have shown their strong mentality by not letting the past affect them and have established themselves at other clubs to prove all their critics wrong.Here are 5 footballers who resurrected their careers elsewhere
#5 Jerome Boateng
- Jerome Boateng Stats
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Jerome Boateng joined Manchester City for £10.4 million on a five-year deal in 2010. But he failed to settle in quickly after suffering an injury setback while he was on international duty. He made a total of only 24 appearances for Man City in a season that turned out to be a mix of injuries, dissatisfaction and frustration.
He was dispirited by the fact that he had to play at right back, swapping his place with Micah Richards throughout the season.
- In 2011, Boateng expressed his desire to leave Manchester City for Bayern Munich, stating that playing for Bayern would help his chances of playing regularly for the German national team and that he was frustrated at having to play out of position at right back. His wish was granted and he signed for Bayern for a fee of 13.5mn euros.
- Played in his favoured position, the defender has reached the top of his game and is widely regarded as one of the best centre backs in the world. He is a now a regular starter for Bayern Munich and the German National team and has made a total of 141 and 50 appearances for them respectively.
#4 Gervinho
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Gervinho signed for French League 1 side Le Mans in the summer of 2007. He scored only 2 goals in his debut season and added just 7 goals more during his second season. Averaging just 0.208 goals per game for Le Mans, it was a frustrating time for the promising Ivory Coast striker. In the summer of 2009, he was sold to fellow Ligue 1 side Lille for a fee of 6mn euros.
Gervinho had a great first season with Lille, scoring 18 goals in 40 appearances for his side. He continued that good form in his second season and led his club to the league title for the first time in 56 years, scoring 18 goals in 53 games.
He also won the Coupe de France during his time at Lille. He was rewarded for his club form, by being included in the Ivory Coast squad for the 2008 African Cup on Nations.
Gervinho topped off a fantastic year by earning a move to English giants Arsenal. What happened there is another story.
#3 Diego Forlan
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Diego Forlán was signed for Manchester United by Sir Alex Ferguson for £6.9 million in the January transfer window of 2002. He made his debut on 29 January as a substitute in a 4–0 away win at Bolton Wanderers. He went on to make 98 appearances for Manchester United but managed to score a meagre 17 goals.
His only high point in a United shirt came when he scored two goals against rivals Liverpool which endeared him to the United supporters. Forlan’s last memory as a United player was his dispute with Sir Alex over the choice of footwear during his last match for United
- Having failed to adapt in England, Forlan signed for Villareal CF in 2004. Forlán's debut for Villarreal saw him score against rivals Valencia CF. He went on to make 128 appearances for Villareal, guiding them to the Champions League Semi Final in 2006. The Uruguayan scored 25 goals in the 2004-05 season and won the Pichichi Trophy for most goals in the La Liga.
- It was hard to believe that he was the same player who failed so miserably at Manchester United.
#2 Daniel Sturridge
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- Daniel Sturridge signed for Chelsea in 2009. Unable to break into the starting XI, he was loaned out to Bolton Wanderers for the second half of the 2010-11 season to gain some experience. After the successful spell at Bolton, where he scored 9 goals, he returned to Chelsea for the 2011-12 season but managed to play just 12 games in a season marred by injuries. Seeking a fresh start, he then left Chelsea to join Liverpool in January 2013.
- Sturridge made his Liverpool debut on 6th January in the FA Cup, scoring his first Liverpool goal after just 7 minutes. His impressive goal scoring form saw him become the first Liverpool player in the Premier League era to score in seven consecutive league games. Sturridge got a lot of game time at Liverpool during which he formed a lethal partnership with Luis Suarez up front.
- His goal scoring instinct led to him being called up for the England National Team. On 18 April 2014, he was named as one of the six players on the shortlist for the PFA Player of the Year award and the PFA Young Player Award.
#1 Dennis Bergkamp
Dennis Bergkamp Stats
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Dennis Bergkamp started his professional career with Ajax at the age of 11 and went on to make his professional debut with them. His good form attracted the attention of several European clubs and he signed for Italian club Internazionale in 1993.
He had a decent first season with Inter Milan scoring 25 goals in 55 appearances, but he endured a disappointing campaign during the second season. He was troubled by stress injuries and fatigue from the 1994 World Cup and managed to score only 5 goals in 26 appearances.
His relationship with the Italian media and the fans also worsened. Further, his place in the starting lineup was not guaranteed with the signing of Maurizio Ganz.
- Wanting to make a new start, he joined Arsenal in 1995. It was at Arsenal where Bergkamp rejuvenated his career, helping the club win 3 Premier League titles, 4 FA Cup trophies and reach the 2006 Uefa Champions League Final, which was his last match for Arsenal.
- The prolific dutchman was loved at Arsenal, which is clearly evident from the fan’s love for him even today. In 2007, he was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame, becoming the only Dutchman to be given this honour.