10 European Players Who Will Bounce Back During the 2013-14 Season

For many world football stars, the 2012-13 season was a huge success. But for every winner there must be a loser, and there were a great number still who struggled mightily in the season just passed and failed to live up their reputations and expectations.

That might have happened in many different ways, but most importantly, it happened.

Fortunately for them—and for us, the fans—many of them will bounce back stronger than ever in the 2013-14 season. They'll have learned from their mistakes, dealt with their personal frustrations and come back stronger than before to prove that they are world-class and a valuable member of any team.

Read on to see the top 10 European players who'll bounce back in 2013.

Iker Casillas, Real Madrid

Iker Casillas might have been named the Goalkeeper of the Year at the 2012 FIFA Ballon d'Or Awards, but it hasn't been a great 2013 for the Real Madrid shot-stopper.

Forced out of the team with injury, Casillas's starting spot was snapped up Diego Lopez who, despite Casillas overcoming his injury and being ready to assume his starting position, managed to hold on to the starting spot at Los Blancos for the remainder of the season—much to the dismay of Casillas.

Rumors of a feud between the two keepers began to emerge, with instability in the Madrid dressing room seeming to grow with every passing week at the club.

And that was how the year finished for Casillas.

With Jose Mourinho no longer at the club, there's no doubting that the Spanish international will have a new sense of confidence and will be desperate to prove himself worthy of the starting spot again. He'll know that he's no lock to make Spain's 2014 World Cup team, and with his skill-set and ability, he will definitely bounce back strong next season.

Papiss Cisse, Newcastle United

Papiss Cisse was on fire at the back end of last season and brilliant in big games to start this season. However, with the departure of Demba Ba, Cisse flopped spectacularly and finished the season with just eight goals in 36 appearances.

For a striker of Cisse's proven ability, that simply isn't good enough.

Newcastle United bought well over the summer transfer window, however, and have now given Cisse the assistance he requires at the top of the attack.

Much of that will still depend on the confidence of the striker, but with no African Cup of Nations commitments to worry about, and no doubts about whether he'll survive the transfer window unscathed, expect Cisse to bounce back strong in the 2013-14 season.

Antonio Valencia, Manchester United

Antonio Valencia was Manchester United's player of the season in 2012.

This year, however, he was nothing close to that—labeled more as a "one-trick pony" and a man that was just a shadow of the winger that United needed him to be.

He finished with just one goal and five assists in 2012, but he'll improve on those numbers without doubt next year. The addition of David Moyes will have Valencia desperate to prove himself worthy of a starting position once again, and with 12 months under his belt, will finally start to develop the relationship with Robin van Persie that many had thought the pair would establish last season.

Look for Valencia to be a very important player at Old Trafford next season.

Isco, Malaga

Isco? On a list of players to bounce back? Absolutely.

The Malaga midfielder was very strong in 2012-13, and nobody will deny that. But in comparison to what was expected of him (and what he showed the year before) it's tough not to say that Isco failed to live up to expectations—something that the statistics suggest to also be true.

Malaga went from being the fourth-best team in Spain—and one of the most likely to challenge the Barcelona-Real Madrid duopoly—to finishing sixth.

And whilst that's not Isco's fault, it is the reality of his season.

With a number of clubs circling next season for the talented playmaker, it's hard to see Malaga being able to hold onto Isco without the ability to offer Champions League football. Sky Sports report that there is a buyout clause in his contract, and it's more than likely that some club in world football will try and match that this summer to bring Isco to their club.

And once there, he'll shine once again.

He'll have a better team around him, more time and space than he did in La Liga and a chance to get back into the prestigious European tournament once again.

Isco will go from the sixth-best team in Spain to being a world-class playmaker once more, and his transfer value will no doubt skyrocket in the process.

Talk about bouncing back in a big way next season.

Toni Kroos, Bayern Munich

23-year-old Toni Kroos came into this season billed as one of the most exciting prospects in Germany. He was quickly starting to show that in both the Bundesliga and Champions League before he sustained a torn groin muscle against Juventus that effectively ruled him out for the rest of the season.

But he'll be back, and he'll be just as brilliant.

In Bayern's brilliant attacking model with a slew of potential goal-scoring threats, it's hard to see Kroos not having an impact in one way or another in 2013.

He netted nine goals and had eight assists in his limited performances for Bayern Munich this year, and will surely bounce back next year brighter than ever.

Sergio Aguero, Manchester City

Sergio Aguero failed to live up to expectations this year—perhaps because his previous title-winning season with Manchester City was so incredible and exhilarating.

He suffered key injuries, struggled to find any consistency alongside Mario Balotelli and witnessed City be overtaken in the Champions League, FA Cup and Premier League. However, if anything is to be taken from Aguero's 2012 season, it's that he's more than capable of bouncing back next season.

Aguero is a talented striker who, if City bring in someone this summer to partner him, would thrive under the circumstances. He'll be gunning to ensure his place in the Argentinian national team for the upcoming World Cup, and will be a huge success in the system that Manuel Pellegrini would employ at the Etihad Stadium—assuming he's the manager that is chosen this off-season.

Winning the Premier League's Golden Boot Award wouldn't be beyond Aguero at all next season, and if that happens, City (and Aguero) could be in for a very big year.

Julian Draxler, Schalke

Julian Draxler was heralded as the "next big thing" in German football after becoming the fourth-youngest player in history to make his Bundesliga debut in 2011.

And whilst he's shown glimpses of the potential that seemingly awaits him, he's struggled to do it with the consistency that many were hoping he would. That's not to say that he hasn't been strong—rather, to say that he hasn't been consistently strong like the hype around him had suggested.

That is, until the 2013-14 season rolls around.

Having extended his contract at Schalke, Draxler will know the expectations that he has to live up to now, and—with a good season of German and European football under his belt—will no doubt do just that. Schalke are developing a very good but under-the-radar team, and with Draxler running around in their attack, they'll likely be very strong again in 2013.

Look for Draxler to finally kick his game up a gear next season.

Iker Muniain, Athletic Bilbao

Having established himself as one of the stars of the 2011-12 La Liga season, Iker Muniain had grand expectations surrounding him coming into this season.

And yet, he simply didn't quite meet the mark that many had for him.

Perhaps the expectations were too high, but with with one goal and two assists in 37 appearances for Athletic Bilbao, it doesn't seem like a stretch to say that Muniain sputtered somewhat in 2012.

He's a great talent who will relish the extra attacking responsibility that will fall to him now that Fernando Llorente has left the club for Juventus.

Muniain has shown to be a seriously good player at his best, and his maturity, leadership and skills are all needed for Bilbao to stay successful. And whilst that might sound like a big ask for a 20-year-old midfielder, Muniain is more than capable of stepping up to the plate and delivering in a big way in 2013.

Just you wait.

M'Baye Niang, AC Milan

The 18-year-old M'Baye Niang signed for AC Milan with huge expectations about his potential, and yet he didn't deliver on them this year. Maybe it was the changes at the club, maybe it was the player himself—but for one reason or another, Niang struggled to get going in the year just passed, finishing with no goals and one assist in his 22 appearances for the Rossoneri.

But if there's one guy in this Milan team that you've got to watch out for next season, it's Niang. He's a talented, pacy winger who will thrive now that Mario Balotelli and Stephan El Shaarawy are combining so well—and could well lead Milan back to the top of the Italian league once again.

That might sound like a bold claim, but it's true.

Niang has a bright future at the San Siro, and with natural athleticism and ball-playing skills, will quickly develop into a permanent starter at the club next season.

John Obi Mikel, Chelsea

The following is John Obi Mikel's stats for the 2012-13 season, per WhoScored:

— No goals, no assists, five yellow cards.

If you'd predicted that at the start of the season, then you were a genius. Mikel's decline this season has been simply astounding, and I don't think anyone saw it coming—certainly not to the extent that he would finish the season without a goal or an assist to his name.

And so, it is only natural that he will improve in 2013, but I don't just think he'll improve. Under Mourinho—with Lampard alongside him—I think he'll shine once more.

Mourinho will be best off playing David Luiz in central defense and using his attacking skills from there. That will allow Mikel to hold more effectively and combine well with the slew of attacking options ahead of him. He won't have the African Cup of Nations to worry about, and his starting spot should be guaranteed for the season—which will dramatically help his production levels as a result.

Mikel is a world-class midfielder who was in the headlines for the wrong reasons last year. Without that drama, I think he'll bounce back in a big way in 2013.

Which European stars do you think will bounce back in 2013-14?

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