WE’VE all thought about what it would be like to Jose Mourinho, Pep Guardiola or any other top football boss.
Fortunately, we’ve got Football Manager, which allows us to live out our fantasies by signing the next Lionel Messi or Neymar from the comfort of our own home.
However, not all future wonderkids go on to achieve their potential… not even close in many cases.
In fact, for every Messi there is a Freddy Adu. For every Neymar, there’s a Keirrison.
We asked our friends at Football Whispers to come up with a list of five players who were the next big thing according to Football Manager but fell woefully short in real life.
Freddy Adu
PERHAPS the ultimate Football Manager wonderkid who never fulfilled his promise, Freddy Adu was available as a 14-year-old on Championship Manager 03/04.
Put him in the starting lineup for almost any team in the world and he’d only get better.
That was in keeping with the expectation of Adu at the time.
He was the youngest athlete to sign a professional contract in the United States when he was selected by DC United in the 2004 MLS SuperDraft.
He made his debut three months later, aged just 14 years, ten months and a day, before becoming the youngest scorer in MLS history two weeks later.
The American was referred to as the next Pele and he undoubtedly lived up to that on Championship Manager.
But in real life, he was anything but after leaving DC United in 2006, playing for thirteen teams in eight different countries.
Adu, still only 27, is a free agent after undergoing an unsuccessful trial with MLS side Portland Timbers earlier this year.
Keirrison
FAMOUS for his trademark seal tribble, Keirrison joined Barcelona in 2009 for £12million and expectations were high given his Football Manager persona.
But the Brazilian, who was looking to follow in the footsteps of Ronaldo and Rivaldo at the Camp Nou, did not make a first-team appearance for the Blaugrana.
Instead he was sent out on a succession of loan spells at Benfica, Fiorentina, Santos, Cruzeiro and Coritiba.
But he was unable to re-capture his in-game form away from Barca and he is arguably one of the Spanish giants’ worst signings.
Now 28, and nowhere near a Brazilian legend, the striker joined Portuguese top-flight side Arouca in January but is yet to find the back of the net.
Cherno Samba
WHEN you mention Football Manager, or Championship Manager, the first name that comes up when anyone talks about legends in the game is Cherno Samba.
In the 2001/02 edition of Championship Manager he was the must-have talent and available at a knockdown price to boot. Goals were a guarantee – and plenty of them.
Samba was a Liverpool transfer target and the Reds had a £2m bid rejected.
Michael Owen is even said to have phoned him while he was on a bus home from school, urging him to sign for Liverpool.
He had a somewhat nomadic career, including spells in Finland, Greece and Norway, where he suffered a career-ending injury playing for Tonsberg.
John Fleck
AS a 17-year-old on Football Manager 10, John Fleck was a must-buy midfielder to build your side around for years to come.
If you could persuade him to join from Rangers, that was…
Having made his professional debut as a 16-year-old Fleck was often hailed as the Scottish Wayne Rooney.
But Fleck’s most prolific season saw him make 15 league appearances and in 2012 he asked to be released from his contract instead of being transferred to the newco.
He joined League One side Coventry City and spent four seasons at the Ricoh Arena before joining Sheffield United last summer.
The Blades were promoted back to the Championship this month but Fleck’s progress is still considerably slower than Football Manager suggested it might be.
Matej Delac
MOST Football Manager prospects are outfield players.
But a goalkeeper who can grow with your team is essential and Matej Delac was that man in the 2010 version of the game.
With the right nurturing, the Croatian became one of the best keepers in the world.
In real life Chelsea paid Inter Zapresic more than £2m to sign a player who it was hoped would one day be Petr Cech’s successor.
Seven years later, it’s clear that won’t be the case.
Delac has never played for the Blues and instead taken in nine loan spells in eight different countries.
Now 24, Delac is first-choice stopper for Belgian side Royal Excel Mouscron.
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