De Gea, Bale and the World-Class Players Who Were Once Derided
David de Gea is widely regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the world, with his brilliant form hiding a multitude of sins in Manchester United's back line.
Yet, the Spaniard hasn't always been so well thought of at the Theatre of Dreams, with many fans calling for him to be axed during a gaffe-ridden first few seasons.
De Gea is one of many players who have recovered from derision and exclusion to be considered among the best in the beautiful game. He leads a list of world-class players who once had to deal with the boo-boys.
David de Gea
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David de Gea cost Manchester United £18.9 million in June 2011, a British record for a goalkeeper.
The Spaniard, however, did not immediately settle into his role and became known for his high-profile mistakes. Reports from 2012 described him as "error-prone" and stories about him shoplifting doughnuts did not help his public perception.
Now, of course, the 24-year-old is thought to be one of the very best shot-stoppers in the world.
Gareth Bale
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It's hard to imagine that the world's most expensive player was once a figure of fun. Then again, in 2009 it was very hard to imagine that Gareth Bale would one day be the world's most expensive player.
The Welshman was thought to be "cursed" at Tottenham Hotspur, as they failed to win any of the first 24 games in which he was involved.
In the 2010 January window, it was thought that Birmingham were lining up a £3 million move for the "Spurs flop."
How different things could have been.
Aaron Ramsey
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Aaron Ramsey's career took a significant downturn in the aftermath of the broken leg he suffered at Stoke City in February 2010.
The Welshman struggled to regain his form and confidence, and he was sent out on loans to Nottingham Forest and Cardiff. Arsene Wenger admitted that he considered dropping him for home games as the Emirates contingent booed him so much.
However, last season Ramsey rediscovered his mojo and scored 10 goals from 23 Premier League games (as per ESPNFC). In this campaign, the box-to-box midfielder has clearly shown his value—and he has an incredible Champions League goal under his belt.
Cristiano Ronaldo
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When Cristiano Ronaldo first moved to Manchester United from Sporting Lisbon in 2003, there was little doubt of his raw talent.
However, he was widely criticised as a showboater, whose endless step-overs often led to nothing.
A post from fan site the Republik of Mancunia titled "We Need Shire Horses Like Neville, Not Show Ponies Like Ronaldo" detailed his petulance and tantrums and included some negative comments from former Red Devil Paul Parker.
In the years that followed, Ronaldo evolved into one of the greatest players of all time. But you probably already knew that.
Jordan Henderson
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Not long after Liverpool splashed £20 million bringing Jordan Henderson to Anfield, the deal was widely derided.
Fans didn't think the young midfielder was good enough—certainly not for the price tag—and former director of football Damien Comolli claimed he was fired because of his decision to bring him in.
However, by his third season with the Reds, Henderson had evolved into one of Liverpool's key players, with his tireless energy and positioning often leading to goalscoring opportunities. Next season, he is widely expected to succeed Steven Gerrard as club captain.
Paul Pogba
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Manchester United went to great lengths to secure Paul Pogba's services, getting themselves embroiled in a "tapping up" controversy when they found him at Le Havre.
Sir Alex Ferguson, however, clearly didn't think too much of the young Frenchman. In nearly four years at the club, he made only a handful of appearances against lesser opposition in the League Cup and Europa League. It took him three years to feature in the Premier League in a cameo appearance against Stoke.
In the summer of 2012, he was allowed to go to Juventus for free. He duly took Serie A by storm and won Tuttosport's Golden Boy award in 2013, a prize given to the best young player in Europe.
Nemanja Matic
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Chelsea initially bought Nemanja Matic in 2009 from Slovakian side MFK Kosice. But the Serbian international completely failed to make an impact at Stamford Bridge, managing only a few substitute appearances before being sold to Benfica.
In last year's January window, the Blues made the unusual step of buying back a player that they had previously traded away, but Matic definitely isn't the same player he was. Benfica manager Jorge Jesus helped him transition from a playmaker to a defensive midfielder, a role in which he has since thrived.
In fact, Matic has gone from barely registering on Carlo Ancelotti's radar to being widely regarded as the best defensive midfielder in the Premier League.
Jerome Boateng
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Jerome Boateng spent the 2010-11 season at Manchester City, where he did very little to impress the fans—and even less to impress Mario Balotelli.
Perhaps he was not properly utilised by Roberto Mancini, but the German international was accused of being lazy and not up to the task.
This 2011 fan forum thread (NSFW language), which was started shortly before Boateng's first game against City as a Bayern Munich player, shows how poorly the supporters thought of him in Manchester.
Fast forward to 2014 and he is an integral part of one of the best sides in Europe, who has a World Cup winner's medal after a superb performance in the final.
Andrea Barzagli
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In 2008, highly-rated centre-back Andrea Barzagli made an €11 million move to Wolfsburg.
In the Bundesliga, the Italian's form completely deteriorated and he was exposed in a number of high-profile games. As B/R's Allan Jiang explains, Wolfsburg's form suffered as a result.
The Germans finally cut Barzagli loose in January 2011, accepting a feeble €300,000 from Juventus to avoid him leaving for free.
At that point, he had been ignored by the national team for three years and seemed destined to fade into obscurity. However, Barzagli's form dramatically picked up with the Old Lady, where he has won three consecutive Scudetti, and he is a staple in the Azzurri's back line once again.
Diego Forlan
10 of 10Sir Alex Ferguson has a few questionable signings in his past, but few potential megastars have flopped at Old Trafford quite like Diego Forlan.
The Uruguayan signed in 2001 and failed to score at all in his debut season. He managed only 10 goals in three campaigns before he moved on to Villarreal.
It looked like his career was in tatters, but Forlan turned on some incredible form in Spain, winning the Pichichi (top scorer) trophy in his first season and picking it up once again when he moved to Atletico Madrid.
At the 2010 World Cup, some nine years after his Premier League debut, Forlan won the Golden Ball award.
Thanks to @Shahsiham, @jamesmcnicholas and @stighefootball for their player nominations.
