As teen sensation Martin Odegaard completes a mega money move to Real Madrid, we look at a few former wonderkids for whom things didn't quite go to plan.
As teen sensation Martin Odegaard completes a mega money move to Real Madrid, we look at a few former wonderkids for whom things didn't quite go to plan.
Freddy Adu
Arguably the most talked about teenager of recent years, Freddy Adu is currently looking for a club after being released by Serbian team Jagodina.
Kerlon
Remember the 'seal dribble'? The kid responsible for it, Kerlon, seemed to have the world at his feet.
Now, after several injuries and not making the step up, the former Brazilian youth international plies his trade in Barbados for Weymouth Wales.
Anthony Le Tallec
Hailed by former Liverpool boss Gerrard Houllier as the most talented youngster in Europe, the move to Merseyside wasn't a dream come true for Anthony Le Tallec. He's now at his sixth French club - Valenciennes in the second division.
Francis Jeffers
Hailed by Arsene Wenger as his "fox in the box", Francis Jeffers never lived up to his £8m move to Arsenal from Everton in 2001. He last played for Accrington Stanley in 2013.
John Rostock
When Spurs poached England youth international John Rostock from Crystal Palace in 2008, the furore that ensued suggested he really was the next big thing. More than six years on, he now plays in the Belgian second division.
Fran Merida
When Arsenal signed the teenage Fran Merida from Barcelona in 2007 he was compared to Cesc Fabregas. 8 years later the Spaniard failed to earn a contract at Middlesbrough.
