Premiership Flops (1992-2002)

United thought they had found Peter Schmeichel’s replacement when they splashed out £4.5 million for keeper Taibi. A mere four appearances and 11 goals conceded later (including a five-nil defeat to Chelsea) they decided that actually they hadn’t and his Old Trafford career was over.

Prunier, a French centre-back who looked a bit like Jaap Stam (but played nothing like him), was one of Alex Ferguson's worst ever signings. He looked pretty good on his Man U debut, against QPR, but had an absolute shocker in his next game in a red shirt, a 4-1 defeat to Spurs.

That was the last time he pulled on a red shirt for United

Marcelino, a Spain international centre-back who cost Newcastle £6.7m from Mallorca in 1999, picked up every injury known to man—and a few more besides—in his time at St James' Park. He played just 20 games in three years before being released.

Signed for £3m from Bordeaux in November 2001, Grenet arrived in time to hear Colin Todd comparing him to Lilian Thuram. He turned out to be so bad that most Derby fans consider his finest moment being sent off in the 2-1 defeat at Aston Villa, meaning they would have to endure his woeful display no longer.

Although reportedly signed on a free his exorbitant wages ensured he was a costly buy who chose to sit out his four-year contract despite being informed weeks after signing his contract with the club, the newly-appointed manager Claudio Ranieri wanted him to leave.

According to Bogarde it would be next to impossible to find a team that would offer him a contract comparable to the one he had at Chelsea. He later retired in 2005.

Marco Materazzi joined Everton from Perugia in 1998-99. Materazzi's stay in the Premiership was brief and not so glorious after he became Walter Smith's first signing for Everton from Perugia in the summer of 1998.

Materazzi's most famous moment at Everton was when he was sent off against Coventry after he was the victim of a Darren Huckerby dive. In that single season Materazzi managed to clock up three red cards and 12 yellows. He rejoined Perugia in the summer of 1999.

Leeds United manager George Graham paid Parma £4.5m for Brolin in 1995. The baby-faced Swede turned up at Elland Road looking just a wee bit out of shape. Brolin made just 19 appearances in two years for Leeds before Graham got rid of him.

He then returned to England for a final Premiership fling at Crystal Palace in 1998, but, after 13 appearances, was deemed too fat to play, and was made assistant manager to Attilio Lombardo. Palace were later relegated.

He slipped into English football under the watchful eye of Graeme Souness after Souness received a call from “George Weah” saying that Dia was his cousin.

Souness, who apparently doesn’t believe in watching a player train, gave Dia a one-month contract. After coming on as a sub in his first match, he was subbed after 20 minutes and kicked out of the club after two weeks.

From Southampton, he joined non-league Gateshead, where he was transfer-listed in February 1997. He hasn't been heard of since. Widely considered to be the worst player to ever play in the Premier League.

Signed for £1.8m by Frank Clark for Nottingham Forest in 1995, 6'3" Silenzi took just seven full appearances to prove his worth. One of the first 'big name' Italian imports, Silenzi, known as 'the Big Brush', was a picture of disinterest.

Earning a then-enormous £30,000 a month, his laid-back control, finishing and approach play soon had management and supporters worried. His only excess was in the length of his first touch. It took just weeks for the deal to look suspect, a month for it to look plain wrong and another to collapse.

Half way through his first season, he had lost his place to Jason Lee, was loaned to Venezia, and when told to return by Dave Bassett, he refused. Forest tore up his contract—meaning the whole deal, including wages and bonuses, had cost the club £2.75m.

He scored twice—one against Oxford in the FA Cup and the other against Bradford in the Coca Cola cup. 'The whole business turned into a complete fiasco,' said Bassett

'Mad' Marco Boogers arrived from Sparta Rotterdam for £1m in July 1995. Coming on as a substitute against Manchester United in only his second appearance for the club, Boogers red-carded for an evil tackle on Gary Neville, then promptly disappeared...only to be found weeks later in a mobile home in a Dutch caravan park.

'I'm not mental,' claimed Boogers as he was led away from Upton Park on a free transfer to Groningen. "I signed Boogers off a video," said the West Ham manager Harry Redknapp. "He was a good player but a nutter."

Left Dinamo Zagreb where he was the league’s highest scorer to join Aston Villa for £5.8 pounds. He played nine games in all (seven as a substitute) and didn’t succeed in scoring a single goal.

He was given a £1m pay-off when he left in 2004, announcing that "Villa is all bullshit." John Gregory thought Balaban was the last piece of the jigsaw. He might well have been, but it was a completely different puzzle.

Signed as Arsene Wenger’s “fox in the box”, scored four goals in four seasons. He was sold as a donkey in the box at a loss of £5.4m. He is currently playing with Sheffield Wednesday.

Sean 'Crocodile' Dundee is regularly cited by Liverpool fans as the worst player in the club's history. He arrived at Anfield with a reputation as a fast, powerful goalscorer.

Dundee had publicly declared in a newspaper interview that he was 'as fast as Michael Owen.' Liverpool fans would soon find out that this was not to be the case when he was overhauled during a game against Leicester by the less-than-speedy Frank Sinclair, the writing was on the wall.

Dundee, who had a reputation as a bit of a party animal, made just three substitute appearances for Liverpool before he was sold on.

The Colombian eventually became better known for his athletic goal celebrations than his ball skills. However, his main contribution to the Newcastle side was to completely spoil their 1996 title challenge with a surly, disinterested demeanour that ruined team morale and left Kevin Keegan emotionally shattered.

The player who formed an outstanding attacking partnership with Andriy Shevchenko at Dynamo Kiev lost his way after the sacking of George Graham in March 2001, he was frozen out by Glenn Hoddle.

He went out on two consecutive loans to Fenerbahçe and later signed for West Ham.