A selection of some of the most overhyped footballers in recent history, including Liverpool and Manchester United legends…
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20) Georgi Kinkladze
A player made famous really by one goal, former Manchester City star Georgi Kinkladze was a flair player without a great deal of consistency, substance and end product to his game.
19) Carlos Valderrama
A legend of Colombian football, much of the hype that continues to surround Carlos Valderrama is largely down to his memorable hairstyle and slightly eccentric style.
18) Nicolas Anelka
Despite a career at a number of top clubs like Arsenal, Real Madrid, Liverpool and Chelsea, Nicolas Anelka never really lived up to the potential he showed as a youngster, often showing a lazy side and going missing in the big games.
17) Florent Malouda
A player who had at most one good season with Chelsea, French winger Florent Malouda was hugely over-rated for much of his career, never contributing a great amount at international level or in the biggest games.
16) Denilson
An expensive signing by Real Betis, Brazilian winger Denilson started out with some real potential but couldn’t quite hack it at the top level in Europe.
15) David Ginola
More well known for being a bit of a character off the pitch, David Ginola had the occasional majestic performance but was not a truly top class player in the way that some make him out to be.
14) Wayne Rooney
A good but not great career at Manchester United, Wayne Rooney has not reached the level of players like Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo despite looking as good a prospect as them as a youngster, with a poor record at tournaments for England particularly damning.
13) Adriano
A career wrecked by attitude problems and indiscipline, Adriano never built on the one or two good seasons he had for Inter Milan.
12) Roberto Baggio
One of those who has become a bit of a nostalgia player, Roberto Baggio was one of the most talented players of his generation but still went missing in the big games, particularly for Italy.
11) Steven Gerrard
Adored by Liverpool fans, but many fans see through the Steven Gerrard hype, which has been helped by a series of long-range wondergoals more than for being a truly elite midfield player.
10) Jack Wilshere
A player who looked outstanding at 16, Jack Wilshere has not progressed as expected and now looks something of a flop at 23, doing little to warrant a place in the Arsenal or England team.
9) Sergio Ramos
A player fortunate to play in some great teams, Sergio Ramos has a poor red cards record and is slightly overhyped for a good goals record for a defender.
8) Wesley Sneijder
A player who only really had one season of truly outstanding form, Wesley Sneijder has lived off that reputation for too long despite spending much of his career at lower-level clubs like Ajax and Galatasaray.
7) Ezequiel Lavezzi
Good in an ever-worsening Serie A for Napoli, Ezequiel Lavezzi has not convinced at all since moving to Paris Saint-Germain, despite playing in a star-studded and expensive team.
6) David Luiz
A defender who can’t defend, David Luiz is certainly one of the most overrated players on the planet right now, scoring a few wondergoals but often looking completely lost at the back, particularly at fault as Brazil lost 7-1 to Germany last summer.
5) Faustino Asprilla
Another nostalgia player who was one of the first exciting foreign imports to the Premier League in the 90s, Faustino Asprilla didn’t really do enough to establish himself as a key performer for Newcastle United.
4) Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Regarded as one of the best players in the world, Zlatan Ibrahimovic has arguably not made enough of a meaningful contribution to his clubs, playing for big teams like Inter Milan, AC Milan and Barcelona – sides who have all won the Champions League in recent years, but without him as part of the team.
3) Radamel Falcao
A couple of great seasons in La Liga, but apart from that Radamel Falcao has looked at his best in less competitive leagues for teams like Porto and AS Monaco, flopping spectacularly at Manchester United this season.
2) Robinho
The first big signing of the Sheikh Mansour era at Manchester City, Robinho was a big disappointment and has generally had an inconsistent career full of half-hearted displays masked by the occasional bit of great skill.
1) Mario Balotelli
A player made popular for his eccentric persona and self-centred approach to the game, Mario Balotelli has had his moments, but none enough to justify his moves around so many big clubs, all of which he has largely flopped at.
List via the Daily Telegraph.