8 players who started their club careers very slowly

Adaptation. The ability to adapt to a different surrounding is what defines a person. In an ever-changing world such as this, where most people are constantly on the move, it requires a level of requirement to mix with the unfamiliar masses.We can find a similar thing in football. As players grow up and look to expand their abilities, moves across the globe take place in order for them to join better leagues that would help them in their path to be great players.However, the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. Some players turn out to be a little too rigid to adapt quickly to the new environment, resulting in many broken dreams. While some of those players head back from where they came, others just keep walking and ultimately begin playing to their potential.And here are 8 such players who took a really long time to adjust to their new club before getting the ground running.

#1 Erik Lamela

One could almost say that he is the king of slow-starters. The inspiration behind this article, Erik Lamela has finally begun to perform the way many expected him to when Tottenham Hotspurs first announced his signing.

As Gareth Bale’s sale left Spurs with over 100 million Euros to spend, they knew not what to do and mostly wasted them on hasty signings. However, Erik Lamela seemed like brightest of the lot for he was taking Serie A by storm prior to his move.

But, it didn’t work out at as planned. In his first two seasons at the club, he was nothing but abysmal, with flashes of brilliance sparkling after long intervals—giving fans hope that maybe, just maybe he could be the talisman their club paid 30 million Euros for.

By the time the summer transfer window of 2015 began, most fans wanted to see the back of him and he almost did leave for Marseille, but Spurs pulled the plug on the deal at the very last minute after failing to acquire the services of Saido Berahino.

And what a decision that has turned out to be.

So far this season, he has shown why he was earmarked as one of the brightest Latin American potentials of this generation. At Roma, his importance was in his contribution in the attack. At Spurs, however, his defensive contribution has no peers as his robust and tenacious style of play remains one of the key reasons for Spurs’ good defensive – and, in general, overall – run this season.

And it is not that he hasn’t done anything in the final third either, as he has scored 8 goals and assisted 4 times in the 28 games that he has featured in this season.

#2 Karim Benzema

Karim Benzema might be regarded as one of the best strikers in the world right now, with some Real Madrid fans claiming that he is not one of the best, but the best number 9 around.

But this wasn’t the case always.

Initially, he was Florentino Perez’s second choice after David Villa. However, the Spaniard did not move to Real Madrid and then Karim Benzema was signed from Lyon – with the construction magnate actually visiting his home in order to persuade him.

As you may have guessed already, the Frenchman was, and still is, the apple of Perez’s eye and it is for this reason that he wasn’t sold despite a terrible first season that produced only 9 goals from his boots.

The first half of the second season wasn’t anything special either. An in-form Gonzalo Higuain kept the French-Algerian at bay, with Mourinho even claiming that the latter was a cat when compared to the dog that Higuain was.

But it all changed with the goal against Sevilla in the Copa del Rey on 23rd January. Since then, barring some patches of inconsistency, he has been in sublime touch for the club, stamping his authority in almost every game with some slick playmaking in the final third.

If Real Madrid were impatient with him like they were with so many other players, they might have been regretting today while watching Benzema rock the pitch in another shirt.

#3 Aaron Ramsey

When Arsenal signed him from Cardiff, he was already a highly rated youngster ready to take the world down with his mesmerizing feet. And he started off quite slowly.

The talent was always there, however, with a lot of inconsistent runs here and there, he couldn’t make the impact that was expected of him. Many would argue that he was too young and was only in the development phase, which is true. However, there was always a feeling that he could do more.

And then that fateful day in Britannia came.

On February 2010, Ryan Shawcross’ terrible tackle left him on the ground, writhing in pain and with a double fracture. Many thought that his career was as good as over. And if his games after returning from injury were any signs, they were only negative.

However, the tides turned when he scored against Manchester United in the Premier League the following season – a game in which he was the man of the match.

Since then, he has been a rejuvenated player – and a bit different as well; he turned from a creative attacking midfielder to a box-to-box midfielder, making him really unpredictable due to his runs from deep.

Right now, along with Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez and Santi Cazorla, he is one of the strongest pillars of this Gunners side that are in the great position to win the league for the first time in over a decade.

#4 Ashley Young

When Liverpool and Manchester United fiercely fight to acquire the services of a player, you know that that said player is talented. Ashley was just that.

Playing for a mid-table club like Aston Villa, he thrived in a free role behind the striker, scoring and assisting at a free rate. He not only gave delight to Aston Villa fans, but also a bright ray of hope to the England football fans.

However, as it turned out, all he was successful at after joining United was becoming a meme hero and an excellent simulator on the pitch with his other-worldly theatrics.

At one point, almost every Red Devils fan wanted him out, but somehow, he hung on to the club – and, in the end, it reaped rewards.

Despite having 3 players who could play at left-back, last season, United went through a time when they couldn’t play a single one of them in that particular zone, mainly thanks to injuries. So Louis van Gaal did what no-one would have expected – play Ashley Young there.

Almost everyone was shocked by the decision, but how bad could it possibly be given his prior performances in his preferred role? And he wasn’t. Surprisingly, Young found a new lease of life in his new role and did exceptionally well, contrary to the predictions of so many people.

Right now, he seems like the player United paid 20 million pounds for as his performances have gone up in every area since that unorthodox decision from van Gaal.

#5 Jordan Henderson

For two seasons in a row, Jordan Henderson was named as Sunderland’s best young player. He was also listed by FIFA as one of the 13 best young players to watch out for in 2011.

Liverpool saw the potential and snapped him up before anyone else could as a potential replacement for Steven Gerrard. It made sense now, didn’t it? A box-to-box English player to replace the legendary box-to-box English Liverpool captain.

However, things didn’t go as planned, at least in the beginning.

Jordan Henderson turned out to be such a failure at Anfield that newly appointed manager Brendan Rodgers wanted to loan him out to Fulham, a move that was rejected by the player.

It was, perhaps, this fighting spirit that turned the fortunes in his favour. By the time 2013-14 season ended, he was already an established member at the club and finally looked like the player capable of succeeding the club captain.

And it did happen. Jordan Henderson, despite not reaching his full potential just yet, finds himself wearing the armband of Liverpool—something that Steven Gerrard used to wear.

#6 David De Gea

He might be one of the most sought-after goalkeepers in the world and currently United’s best player – someone who the fans want the club to hold dearly – but that was always the case. In fact, the initial months of his United career consisted of constant blunders and boos from own fans.

At Atletico Madrid, he was the undisputed star – a natural successor to Casillas’ throne for the Spain National Team. However, at United, he was actually overthrown from the goal-guarder post by Anders Lindegaard.

It was until the round of 16 tie against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu in 2013 that he started becoming the ‘keeper he was always touted to be’. In fact, Sir Alex Ferguson even claimed that that game turned him from a “villain to hero”.

It is not that prior to that game he was as bad as he was during the early days of his United career – his performance against Chelsea was sublime – but consistency was always an issue with the Spaniard. An intense performance in that game, however, changed his fortunes to such an extent that just two and half years down the line, Real Madrid did all they could to get hold of him, but in vain.

Right now, the biggest nightmare for fans at Old Trafford is seeing the back of their beloved keeper – that is how he has forged himself in their hearts with his superhuman abilities defending the goal.

#7 Gareth Bale

He might have got the ground running instantly after his move to Real Madrid, but that wasn’t the case when he joined Tottenham Hotspurs.

When Spurs signed him, he was a highly-rated 17-year-old left-back with massive potential – especially in the attack. And he was on his path to glory as he scored 3 goals in his first 4 games for the Lilywhites, but fate had something else in store for him.

Against Birmingham in a league fixture, a tackle from Fabrice Muamba injured him out for the rest of the season. After that, even after his comeback, he failed to win the battle against Benoit Assou-Ekotto for the left-back slot.

Ultimately, Harry Redknapp saw his attacking potential and played him as a winger instead – something that completely turned him into a different beast altogether, a beast that desecrated the career of Maicon and became the most/second most (whichever source you believe) expensive player in the world after Real Madrid splashed an insane amount of money on him.

#8 Mesut Ozil

His departure to Arsenal was a shock, to say the least. Both the parties couldn’t believe that it actually happened, that Real Madrid sold Mesut Ozil to Arsenal. Arsenal fans were in a state of eternal trance, for they finally had a player who could single-handedly decide the fortune of a game in just a split moment.

For Real Madrid fans, it was a day of utter disappointment, but they knew that Arsenal would now go to a different level with him on board.

However, they were all wrong—at least for the first couple of seasons.

Instead of raising the level of Arsenal, Mesut Ozil’s level dropped. He might have started his career brightly, producing an assist in his very first game, but otherwise, he was less than impressive.

Considering the fact that he has 17 assists in the league this season, his numbers of 14 assists combined in the last two seasons works as a fine example of his slow start. Right now, though, he is going through his best time at the club and Arsenal’s position in the league table is a direct result of that.

Edited by Staff Editor