We all know the classic list of “wonderkids who never made it.” Freddy Adu, Cherno Samba, Yaya Sanogo..
. the usual suspects. But as I was scrolling through lists of wonderkids from old Football Manager games, I noticed plenty of names that didn’t quite live up to the hype.
Sure, some of them had decent careers they can be proud of, but they were nowhere near the world-class level Football Manager promised us. As we all wait for the delayed FM25 to finally get here, we’re always looking for something better to do. So here’s a look at some players the game hyped up, only for reality to hit them like a 90th-minute equalizer.
Micah Richards I know what you’re thinking. “Premier League winner, over 200 top-flight appearances—how could Football Manager have gotten this wrong?!” But let’s be brutally honest: Micah Richards was never world-class . Look at his attributes in Football Manager 2009, and you’d think he was destined to become the next Paolo Maldini.
At 20 years old, he had stats that would make a regen wonderkid blush. Sure, Richards had a solid Premier League career. But when you think of him now, it’s more for his ridiculously entertaining punditry than his defensive skills.
It’s hard to blame Football Manager for the hype, though—he captained Manchester City young and broke into the England squad as a teenager. But he never reached the levels of John Terry or Rio Ferdinand. Anthony Martial There’s a reason why Manchester United put a Ballon.