(L-R) Abou Diaby, Marco Reus, Owen Hargreaves and Jack Wilshere
In football, talent alone doesn’t guarantee success because a player’s greatest asset is their availability. No matter how good or talented you are, you won’t be seen and recognized as a top player if you are not available on matchdays to play football.
Chelsea captain, Reece James is often regarded as the best right back in the world but anytime his name is mentioned, people add “if he can be fit” to the conversation because you can’t be the best if you are not playing regularly.
Barcelona’s Ansu Fati is another example of such players who have suffered from injuries that have derailed their promising careers.
Marco Reus, Jack Wilshere, Abou Diaby and Owen Hargreaves are among the game’s most heartbreaking examples of players who were super talented but their dreams were shattered because of injuries.
In this article, we look at the careers of the four aforementioned players who couldn’t reach their full potential in the game because of injuries.
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Marco Reus: The King of Bad Timing
The Borussia Dortmund legend was one of the prospect of his generation tipped to dominate world football after the Messi and Ronaldo era. However, his career was hugely affected by his consistent injuries.
A technically gifted attacker with a knack for decisive goals and assists but he was unavailable for most of the games and tournament that could have elevated his career to the very top.
He was not available for the 2014 World Cup, which Germany won, and also missed Euro 2016, Euro 2020, and other major tournaments including crucial UEFA Champions League games for his club Dortmund.
According to transfermarket, he missed over 1,800 days of action due to injuries between 2012 and 2022 alone. Despite his undeniable quality—evidenced by 170 goals and 131 assists in 429 appearances for Dortmund—his international career was stunted, earning just 48 caps for Germany.
Jack Wilshere: England’s Fallen Prodigy
The Arsenal wonderkid was England’s golden boy with the world at his feet after making his Premier League debut in 2008 against Blackburn Rovers. However, he couldn’t get to the very top because his body couldn’t contain his talent.
According to premierinjuries.com, Wilshere missed over 1,000 days of action during his time at Arsenal and by the time he retired at 30, he had managed only 197 Premier League appearances across 14 years.
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Abou Diaby: The Vieira Heir Who Never Was
January 2006 was a happy winter for Arsenal fans because they thought they had signed a much younger version of club legend Patrick Vieira. Arsene Wenger, the coach of Arsenal at the time described the 19-year-old Abou Diaby as Vieira 2.0 because of his physicality, technique, and vision.
The French boy was destined for greatness but a horrific tackle by Sunderland’s Dan Smith in 2006 sparked a cascade of muscle injuries that defined his career.
Per the data from transfermarkt, Diaby made just 180 club appearances across 14 years, a staggering statistic for a player of his potential. His time at Arsenal was marred by 42 separate injuries, costing him over 1,400 days on the sidelines.
Owen Hargreaves: The Chronic “What If”
He won two UEFA Champions League with Manchester United and Bayern Munich but chronic knee injuries turned him into one of football’s biggest “what ifs.”
Owen got the attention of the world after his incredible performances for the Three Lions of England at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.
However, after joining Manchester United in 2007, he played only 39 matches over four seasons due to persistent tendonitis and other issues.
He earned only 42 caps for England, a fraction of what his talent warranted.
ALL/JE
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