5 successful international players who underperformed in club football

Club or country? A debate which brings out contrasting views amongst most footballers. Majority want to extend their career with a club where they have grown attached to; there is a sense of belonging and more importantly to be in the spotlight – something that might be limited at the country level with fewer games to play in. However, there are a few select footballers who take pride in representing their country and achieving as much glory as possible.International superstars are successful both at club level and the national level. Most footballers, who are iconic club figures, could never replicate their success on the international stage. Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Steven Gerrard are few such names who have found the going to be tough when they don their national colors. However, there is a certain breed of players who have been fabulous for their nations and have left fans frustrated by their inability to perform at the club level.We look at such players who have been a success for their countries but have underperformed for their clubs.

#5 Nicklas Bendtner - Denmark

Mad, arrogant, over-confident – all qualities that one would associate with a dysfunctional mind. However, these are some of terms used publicly to describe Nicklas Bendtner. Who can ever forget Euro 2012, when he decided to let down his shorts to reveal green sponsored underpants? Quite presumably, the footballing world believes there is something amiss in his mind.

The Danish forward has been erratic to say the least whenever he donned the Red and White jersey of Arsenal. Bendtner broke into the Arsenal first team based on his performances for the reserves team where he was earmarked due to his ability to influence a game and most importantly his ability in front of goal. He was loaned out to Birmingham City where he played a season and scored 11 goals in 42 games.

He then came back to Arsenal to feature regularly in the first team. However, he never managed to ring the newswire on field as he was inconsistent and was reduced to a bit part role in the last years of his infamous stint in North London. He had further loan stints with at Sunderland and Juventus without much joy. Currently at Wolfsburg, he has managed a solitary goal in 11 appearances.

The same cannot be said when he dons the national colors. The Dane has never had problems in scoring on the international stage having scored 26 goals in 64 appearances for the Denmark senior team – two more than his entire tally at Arsenal where he played 44 games more. He has represented Denmark in the U16, U17, U19 and U21 levels where he has managed an additional 12 goals from 24 games. The statistics clearly show that the national team does bring out the special talent that he boasts.

His self proclaimed prophecy he made five years ago stating that he would want to be known as a world-class striker by now still remains one that has been proven wrong. If you believe him, his time will come sooner or later.

BENDTNER'S CAREER STATS

	APPEARANCES	GOALS
CLUBS	269	70
COUNTRY	64	26

#4 Robinho - Brazil

Having made his debut for Santos at the age of 18 as a precocious talent, Brazil waited with bated breath to see whether they had unearthed the new Pele and their next superstar. Alas, it was a false hope. As a decade later with 3 major stints at Real Madrid, Manchester City and AC Milan, Robinho finds himself back where it all started for him.

For all his prodigious talent, pace, trickery and ability to score goals Robinho failed miserably at all the 3 “big” clubs he got an opportunity with. He couldn’t replicate the consistency and goal scoring ability at any of the clubs, traits that made him different from other talents. If there was one word to sum up his entire club career it would be “frustrating”. He showed glimpses of his magical talent but would often frustrate the fans and club with his erratic temperament.

He remains a player who was more consistent for his country as compared to his club exploits. He has represented Brazil more than 100 times including the 8 games he played for Brazil U-23 and netting 30 goals along the way. What made him different for his country, was his ability to be involved as a team player which was an antithesis to the individualistic flair he relied on at the club level.

He has represented Brazil in two World Cups, has won the Confederations Cup and the Copa America. He has awards at the country level most notably the Golden Ball and Golden Shoe at the 2007 Copa America, clearly demonstrating the fact Brazil can still bring out the best out of him.

ROBINHO'S CAREER STATS

	APPEARANCES	GOALS
CLUBS	558	189
COUNTRY	95	27

#3 Helder Postiga - Portugal

Have you ever wondered what has been constant with the Portugal side over the past decade? Yes, it is Helder Postiga. The much acclaimed talismanic striker (although no one knows how he can ever be considered one) continues to ply his trade for his country even though he has not achieved much. He is 32 and even represented Portugal last year in the World Cup and might continue to do so for a few more years.

Why are Portugal, capable of producing prodigious talents, incapable of producing a prolific striker?

What is interesting with Postiga is that his insipidness at the club level is poorer than his international statistics. The journeyman has plied his trade in six different countries (only Nicholas Anelka overshadows him) but has never been prolific and has been mediocre at all of those clubs. Probably his best club stint remains with Porto where he started off as a youth player. He scored 22 goals in two years for Porto, sparking off a move to Tottenham Hotspur where his scorching potential would start its slow death.

A season (and just one goal for Spurs) later, he would return to Porto from where his journey around Europe would begin. For the past few years, he has camped in Iberia with a loan stint at Lazio interspersed in between. Throughout his nomadic life, he has never been able to set the goal scoring charts on fire as he has had poor returns in front of goal for each of the clubs he has represented in.

However, somehow, just somehow he has still managed to regularly don the national jersey and score a few important goals. His goal scoring tally remains far better for Portugal at as compared to his club tally. Having failed to live up to his potential, Postiga’s stock has fallen and continues to fall. The “Postman” can definitely boast of achieving better success for his country as compared to 9 clubs he has played in.

HELDER POSTIGA'S CAREER STATS

	APPEARANCES	GOALS
CLUBS	446	101
COUNTRY	71	27

#2 Lukas Podolski - Germany

So where did it all go wrong for Poldi? Polish by birth, Podolski grew up in Germany and learnt his trade in a country whom he would end up representing on the international stage. Touted to be the next Jurgen Klinsmann, Podolski debuted at the tender age of 18 for Cologne scoring 10 goals in the Bundesliga which earned him an international callup a year later.

One of the regular members of Die Mannschaft, Podolski has always been prolific in front of goal. Since the 2006 World Cup, he has formed a deadly partnership with Klose which has brought success for both the players and Germany on the international stage.

Blessed with a powerful left foot, technique and an accurate passing game Podolski was liberated when he was on the left side in a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-3-3. Both these formations were employed by Klinsmann and Loew to bring out the best of Poldi. He has scored 47 goals from the 121 games he has represented Germany in. One of the best moments in white and black jersey came in the 2006 World Cup when he scored a brace against Sweden which ensured Die Mannschaft progressed to the quarter finals. He has been one of the players that Germany banks on to score the all important goal or set something up for his team mates.

However, he could never emulate his goal scoring feats at the club level. Podolski's club scoring record has been intermittent, with his top-flight stats varying from 18 in one season to as low as two in another. Having moved to Bayern Munich from Cologne at the age of 21, he never set the stage on fire; partly because of injuries and partly because he was deployed in positions where he was uncomfortable in. Even a move to Arsenal at his prime couldn’t bring the best out of Podolski.

A loan move to Inter in January has been yet another fruitless part in his club journey and it remains to be seen whether he will ever be able to justify his prodigious talent at the club level. For all his brilliance at the international stage, Podolski has never been able to replicate his form at the club level.

LUKAS PODOLSKI'S CAREER STATS

	APPEARANCES	GOALS
CLUBS	382	143
COUNTRY	121	47

#1 Miroslav Klose - Germany

The curious case of Miroslav Klose is something no one has an answer to. That he is a prolific goal scorer, a German legend and also the record holder of the most goals in World Cup history is beyond doubt. However, what remains a curiosity is the fact that Klose was never as prolific for any of the clubs he played for, as he was for his country.

137 international caps, 71 goals, 4 World Cups, 2 World Cup final appearances, a record 16 goals and finally the elusive World Cup title. These are numbers that any footballer would envy. Salto (somersault) Klose has achieved this with aplomb, which ensures that he stands alone on top amongst a class of strikers like Thierry Henry, Ronaldo, Didier Drogba and Raul to name a few.

A player of his international stature would have had the tongues wagging of quite a few clubs. But, he represented only one big club in his glittering career – Bayern Munich. A natural predator, he was able to score goals for all clubs he represented, but he never could achieve the success he achieved for Germany.

He has 17 years of club football behind him representing teams like Werder Bremen, Lazio, FC Kaiserslautern and FC 08 Homburg apart from Bayern. He played 407 games in total scoring 161 goals. These numbers are quite inferior to his international goalscoring exploits which stands at 0.52 goals/match.

Maybe it was the seduction of the performing at the big stage or representing his country or any other reason; Klose was phenomenal when he donned the enigmatic White and Black jersey.

MIROSLAV KLOSE'S CAREER STATS

	APPEARANCES	GOALS
CLUBS	551	216
COUNTRY	137	71