Top 10 one-season wonders in the Premier League

Every new signing in football is bound to fill the fans with massive expectations. Quite a few of them find it difficult in the first campaign as they struggle to adapt to the fixtures congestion and the physical requirements of the league. Some of them live up to the hype that the transfer generated, and get off to an electric start with their new teams.

However, in most cases, the second season doesn't prove to be as fruitful for them - the players stumble and lose their way and slowly move out of the limelight, never to be heard of again. In the PL, this phenomenon is more evident for some unfathomable reason.

Here are some of the players who got off to blistering starts with their teams, but couldn't continue in the same vein of form in the subsequent seasons:

#10 Michael Johnson

A terrible loss of a prodigious talent to injuries

Michael Johnson looked set to earn himself a bright future from the moment he made his debut for Manchester City in 2006. The young midfielder, who was the engine in the middle of the pitch, was proclaimed as 'England's next big thing'.

However, a spate of injuries derailed a promising career and he could hardly even get himself ready to get onto the pitch. He made his final appearance aged 24, and sadly had to announce his retirement when he was just 25.

After 23 appearances in the 2007-08 season when his hamstring injury happened, he went to make only 4 more appearances in the PL over the course of the next 3 years. Since then, he has been under treatment for mental health problems in the UK.

#9 Amr Zaki

The Egyptian paid heavily for his lack of professionalism

This little known Egyptian forward was signed on loan to Wigan Athletic with little fanfare. However, Zaki wowed the fans by scoring 10 goals in just 22 starts, including 5 before September.

However, Zaki was embroiled in controversy even before the end of his first season. After failing to return on time after an international break, he was frozen out of the team and Steve Bruce, then manager, labelled him "the most unprofessional player he had ever worked with".

Wigan decided not to extend his contract and that brought an end to a short and successful stint with Wigan. He couldn't recapture the form in following seasons and drifted out of the limelight. In August 2015, Zaki announced his retirement from football.

#8 Michael Ricketts

His career went downhill after his maiden England cap

After leading Bolton into the Premier League by managing a spectacular 19 goals in the 2000-01 Championship, Ricketts went on to score an impressive 12 goals in his first campaign in the Premier League with Bolton Wanderers.

The strong performances also earned him a call-up to the England squad. A 45-minute cameo in his debut against Netherlands was the farthest his career went as the fall was steep.

His scoring rate dropped in the prime years of his career and he failed to score for Bolton that season after his international debut. Interestingly, he went on to retire without reaching double digits in a campaign ever again.

#7 Asamoah Gyan

Gyan is one of many players in recent times to move to smaller leagues in search of money

Gyan's mostly remembered for smashing the penalty on to the crossbar at the end of extra time of Ghana's 2010 World Cup quarter-final against Uruguay with the scores level. Gyan, who had a spectacular World Cup until then, was signed by Sunderland on the last day of the summer transfer window for a club record fee.

He justified the fee with a brilliant first season at the Stadium of Light, with 10 goals in 31 appearances to steer Sunderland into the top 10.

The next season, however, the Ghana striker made a shock move to UAE side Al Ain as he found the prospect of receiving four times the salary he was earning from playing in the PL too enticing to reject.

#6 Mido

Mido struggled to recapture the form of his initial loan spell at Spurs

Mido initially joined Tottenham Hotspur on a 18-month loan and immediately became an integral part of the Spurs' attack. He found the net on a regular basis and also linked well with both Jermaine Defoe and Robbie Keane. Not surprisingly, he immediately became a fan favorite at the White Hart Lane.

However, his career took a turn for the worse when he re-signed at the completion of his loan spell. Despite moving to numerous teams, he could never find the goal-scoring touch and faded into obscurity.

He finally announced his retirement from football in June 2013.

#5 Papiss Cisse

His spectacular goal was chosen as BBC's Goal of the season

This might be a case of a half-season wonder, though his following seasons were not as bad as the others on this list.

Cisse, who was signed in the winter of 2011-12 by Newcastle United to support fellow Senegalese striker Demba Ba, set the Premier League alight with an electric start. He banged in 13 goals in the 14 matches that he appeared in, leading the Toons to a stunning 5th place in the table, ahead of the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea.

He is most remembered for the wonder goal he scored against Chelsea, when he chested and then curled the ball with the outside of his foot over Cech from 37 yards out.

However, the following seasons were not as fruitful as he lost that goal scoring touch and went on to contribute only 31 goals in 117 further appearances, most certainly not the numbers expected from him after that incredible start.

#4 Roque Santa Cruz

A club career to forget as a player

Santa Cruz was signed in the summer of 2007 by Blackburn Rovers from Bayern Munich to add some firepower to their forward line. However, he had a pretty underwhelming career throughout, with the exception of his first season in the Premier League.

The Paraguayan striker had the season of his life, as his 19 league goals in the campaign pushed Blackburn Rovers to an incredible 7th place finish.

The following seasons were largely forgettable for Santa Cruz as he could only add 7 goals across 3 campaigns, and he ultimately left the Premier League for La Liga. He is currently playing for Olympia Asuncion in the Paraguayan Primera division.

#3 Robinho

The Brazilian's lifestyle hampered his form at the Etihad

Robinho was bought on 1 September 2008 by Manchester City, the same day the club was bought by the wealthy current Arab owners.

Initially keen on a move to Chelsea, the Brazilian forward was signed from Real Madrid for a massive figure. He justified that price-tag with a scintillating first season, when he scored 14 goals in 31 appearances, which included a few majestic free-kicks.

The second season though was not as auspicious, as indiscipline, bad attitude and injuries caught up with him and saw him fade into obscurity and ultimately out of the City squad within a year.

In January 2018, Robinho signed for the Turkish Super Lig club Sivasspor.

#2 Andy Johnson

Andy Johnson racked up incredible numbers in his first Premier League season

Andy Johnson was the star forward for Crystal Palace in the 2003-04 Championship as he hammered in 27 goals and led his team back into the Premier League. He didn't stop there as he went ahead and scored an astonishing 21 goals in his first Premier League season.

Unfortunately for him, the Eagles were dumped back into the Championship after finishing 18th on the final day of the season.

He got back into the Premier League with Everton and Fulham but never came close to replicating those sensational first season numbers. In 2016, Johnson returned to Crystal Palace as an ambassador.

#1 Michu

Michu led the Swans to League Cup glory

Michu, who was signed by Swansea from Rayo Vallecano in the summer of 2012 was heralded as the best value for money signing of the season.

The Spaniard became the talisman for Swansea's success story that season, as he ended the campaign with 22 goals to his name and 18 in the Premier League. He also led the Welsh side to a historic first League Cup title. His staggering performances even earned him a Spanish cap.

Little did anyone know that it would end up being his only cap for the national team and the start of a steep downward slide. He could hardly even find the net in the next few seasons and will go down to be remembered as probably the best one-season wonders ever.

In 2017, he finally announced retirement from football at the age of 31.