20 Players Who Are in Danger of Not Fulfilling Their Potential
When you're a top quality young footballer, the world is quite literally at your feet.
Global superstardom can seem to be just a goal or an assist away but plenty of factors need to come together for that to be achieved.
Sometimes injuries, a transfer to another club or other mitigating factors can get in the way of the path to the top, leaving the players in danger of not living up to their true potential.
Here are 20 men for whom that must be a real worry.
Adnan Januzaj
1 of 20
Probably the only positive from David Moyes' tenure in charge of Manchester United, Adnan Januzaj's potential has been one of the casualties of the Red Devils' relentless summer recruitment drive.
He still gets chances to impress under Louis van Gaal, but there is little doubt that the talented youngster has seen his importance regress in the past 12 months, and for his sake he'll hope to change that in 2015/16.
Joel Campbell
2 of 20
After his impressive World Cup with an equally impressive Costa Rica, the fact that Arsenal recalled Joel Campbell from a series of loan spells to start the 2014/15 season at the Emirates Stadium was seen as the chance for the young forward to finally make his mark at the club.
Instead he featured just 10 times, usually from the bench, and he was quickly farmed out on loan to Villarreal for the rest of the season. What happens next is unclear.
Asier Illarramendi
3 of 20
He'll have known what he was getting himself into when he moved to Real Madrid in the summer of 2013, but there might have to come a time when Asier Illarramendi realises that cameo appearances off the Bernabeu bench aren't making the most of his obvious talents.
With Real having signed Lucas Silva in January as further defensive midfield cover, surely a move away from the club would now be the best thing for the Spaniard as he chases regular first-team action?
Lazar Markovic
4 of 20
It's been a strange season for Liverpool and their arrivals from last summer, with the Serbian Lazar Markovic perhaps summing up that strangeness more than most.
After taking a while to make any sort of impact he began to impress when Brendan Rodgers switched formations in the winter, but there remains a nagging sense of inconsistency about him despite his obvious talent. The same of which is true for plenty of his team-mates.
Thiago Alcantara
5 of 20
After making his first appearance in just over a year for Bayern Munich in the 1-0 win at Borussia Dortmund last Saturday, it is to be hoped that Thiago Alcantara immediately gets back to the standard that we all know he's capable of.
That might take a while after such a long injury nightmare, though, but with his determination and the best wishes of manager Pep Guardiola he is certain to have a good chance.
"#Thiago —March 29 2014: Ligament tear —Aug: Setback —Oct: New tear —April 4: The comeback ▶️ http://t.co/0iNzuFU2Ho pic.twitter.com/SGX53OVjod
— Bleacher Report UK (@br_uk) April 6, 2015"
Jack Butland
6 of 20
Seen as the brightest young English goalkeeper when breaking through at Birmingham City, Jack Butland was a part of his country's Euro 2012 squad and much was made of his need for first-team football when he chose to join Stoke City in 2013.
Seen as the obvious successor to Asmir Begovic when the Bosnian presumably left the club, Butland still finds himself on the bench behind Begovic and he must surely demand a No. 1 spot somewhere next season if his development isn't to be stalled.
Wilfried Zaha
7 of 20
There's no real shame in not making the grade at Manchester United given the calibre of players that have tried and failed there before, but now back at Crystal Palace it is vital that Wilfried Zaha gets back to doing what attracted United to him in the first place.
He has been doing that for the most part since returning in January, but as always with young footballers it is all about the consistency. If he can get that right then there is the possibility that United will regret letting him go so hastily.
Erik Lamela
8 of 20
From being the standout £30 million arrival at Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2013, Erik Lamela is now no longer certain of his place in the Spurs line-up given his inconsistencies, injuries and the good form of others.
His outstanding 2012/13 at Roma which brought him to the attention of many now seems like a long time ago, and it will be interesting to see what Spurs would do if an Italian club offers to take him back to Serie A in the summer.
Marc Bartra
9 of 20
Would defender Marc Bartra walk into plenty of teams who are a step below the stratospheric level that Barcelona operate at? That is an argument for another day, but he would certainly have a better chance to.
The talented centre-back has four Spain caps but to win many more you get the sense that he might have to try his hand elsewhere, perhaps going abroad to improve his game in the manner that team-mate Gerard Pique did.
Raheem Sterling
10 of 20
Of course you can argue that Raheem Sterling has already lived up to his potential given that he is a key player for Liverpool and England, but with these next few years of his career looking so crucial just what he does next seems to be vital.
A move to another club would remove his status as a guaranteed starter, and while he's certainly good enough to eventually warrant that, you can't help but agree with those who claim that Anfield is currently the best place to develop his career.
James Wilson
11 of 20
Just getting as far as he has done at Manchester United has been an achievement in itself, given the competition, but a loan move next season would now certainly benefit the growing talents of forward James Wilson.
The Old Trafford youngster would relish the opportunity to play for another Premier League side on a more regular basis in 2015/16, and United would be the beneficiaries in the long run.
Danny Ings
12 of 20
His contract situation has been one of the most discussed topics of Burnley's campaign in the Premier League, and just what Danny Ings does next is sure to be a hot topic in the summer, too.
A free transfer move for a talented young Englishman is always sure to be popular among the country's elite clubs given the restrictions and quotas on young homegrown players, but Ings has to make the best decision for his career.
Serge Gnabry
13 of 20
Something of a forgotten man at Arsenal this season due to his damaging injuries, German youth winger Serge Gnabry now faces a huge period in his career during which he'll try to break past a galaxy of stars at the Emirates Stadium and get back in the team.
A loan move away from the club could be the answer in the short-term, with the Gunners surely loath to lose such an exciting talent who appeared for the club 14 times last season.
Nathan Ake
14 of 20
A loan move to Reading for the closing weeks of the Championship season is a step in the right direction, but Chelsea's Nathan Ake will have been left frustrated at his inability to break past the huge array top quality players at Stamford Bridge this season.
Jose Mourinho has never really been one to trust in youth above experienced stars, and the defender/midfielder might find than a temporary switch to a Premier League team for next season would be in the best interests of his career.
Adrien Rabiot
15 of 20
The consequence of Paris Saint-Germain's constant spending to improve their team is that some of their exciting young talents can often get overlooked.
Midfielder Adrien Rabiot is just one of those players, with the promising young midfielder often just reduced to late appearances from the bench in PSG's matches, something he is surely too good for.
Samed Yesil
16 of 20
Two ruptured cruciate knee ligaments have completely ruined Samed Yesil's Liverpool career ever since he moved to the Reds from Bayer Leverkusen in 2012.
Considered to be one of the brightest young striking talents in European football back then, Yesil made just two senior appearances for the Reds before his nightmare injuries took hold, but he's now considered to be on the comeback trail and could be back sooner rather than later.
Luke Shaw
17 of 20
Luke Shaw hasn't had it easy since his huge move from Southampton to Manchester United in the summer, with fitness issues and trying to earn the trust of manager Louis van Gaal seemingly dominating his campaign.
Given his price tag, his youth and his potential, of course United will stand by him and hope that he comes good next season, a campaign which promises to be a crucial one for him and his club.
Ross Barkley
18 of 20
Ross Barkley's form in 2014/15 has very much mirrored that of his club Everton, with the heights of 2013/14 not reached and plenty left disappointed.
The attacking midfielder is more than good enough to put that right, however, and we can expect a better campaign from both player and club next season.
Ben Davies
19 of 20
Fine form at Swansea City brought Welsh left-back Ben Davies to the attention of Tottenham Hotspur last summer, but he has been in and out of Mauricio Pochettino's team during what has been a tough first season at White Hart Lane for both the player and his manager.
Competition with Danny Rose at left-back has been the key reason for that, but Davies is surely good enough to win that battle and go on to feature for Spurs for years to come.
Marco van Ginkel
20 of 20
Highly-rated when Chelsea brought him to the club from Vitesse Arnhem in 2013, Dutch midfielder Marco van Ginkel has become the club's forgotten man ever since a serious injury suffered against Swindon Town in a League Cup tie in the September of that year.
Injuries have followed him pretty much ever since, including during this season's loan spell at AC Milan, where frequent problems have stalled his development once again.
