With so much attention on Tottenham Hotspur goal machine Harry Kane at the moment, here’s a look at ten English youngsters who also looked like the next big thing when they first burst onto the scene…will Kane just end up like one of these flops?
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1) Francis Jeffers
Signed by Arsenal in 2001 after an impressive few years at Everton, Francis Jeffers proved to be hugely overhyped as he massively floped at Highbury, scoring just four Premier League goals with the club in two seasons before being offloaded, never making it at a top club again in an extremely underwhelming career.
2) Neil Mellor
Scorer of a wondergoal for Liverpool against Arsenal in 2004, Neil Mellor looked like being the next big thing at Anfield, drawing comparisons with the legendary Robbie Fowler. Now a Sky Sports pundit and retired at 28, it’s clear how that worked out for him.
3) Ravel Morrison
Thought of as one of the most talented young players in Manchester United’s academy, off-the-field problems have plagued Ravel Morrison’s career as he has since failed to make it at the likes of West Ham United and Queens Park Rangers.
4) Andy Carroll
Despite a good start at Newcastle United, Liverpool definitely signed Andy Carroll far too soon as his £35m transfer fee badly failed to pay off. Now injury prone and struggling at West Ham, Carroll’s career looks in free-fall.
5) David Bentley
Compared with Dennis Bergkamp in his days as a youngster at Arsenal, compared with David Beckham at Blackburn, it’s clear to see the only thing David Bentley had in common with either of those two was the initials.
6) Andrew Johnson
Scorer of 85 goals in four seasons as a youngster with Crystal Palace, mainly in the Championship, Andrew Johnson proved a big disappointment at Premier League level with the likes of Everton and Fulham, though he is somehow still lurking around as a backup player back at his old club Palace.
7) Michael Bridges
A goal machine in his early days with Leeds United, Michael Bridges may well have been the real deal but was another player whose career was ruined by repeated injuries.
8) Michael Ricketts
Another who looked certain to be an England star, Michael Ricketts never followed on from his impressive breakthrough season at Bolton in 2001/02, quickly looking like another who was hyped up too soon.
9) Matt Jansen
A prolific scorer and a player with great natural ability, Matt Jansen had the world at his feet as a youngster with Blackburn, but a motorcycle accident seemed to throw him off completely and he never recovered.
10) James Vaughan
Still the youngest scorer of all time in the Premier League, James Vaughan looked like being the next Wayne Rooney when he first broke through at Everton, but he has ended up with an underwhelming career in the lower leagues since.