Top 100 Young Players of 2001: Where Are They Now? (Nos. 100-91)
In 2001 football magazine FourFourTwo produced a list of their 100 brightest stars of the future.
Many of the names have went on to play at the highest level--a few Champions League winners, even a few World Cup winners.
And some fell from the limelight and out of the football headlines.
Here I attempt to reproduce the 100 man list and see where they have been since and where they are now. Enjoy!
First up part one--numbers 100 to 91.
100: Alexander Hleb
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Name: Alexander Hleb
Position: Attacking midfielder/Winger
Nationality: Belarus
Int Caps/Goals: 53/7
Clubs: BATE, VFB Stuttgart, Arsenal, Barcelona, VFB Stuttgart (loan), Birmingham City (loan)
Coming to Arsene Wenger's attention whilst playing for German side Stuttgart, the winger spent three years at Arsenal between 2005-08 after completing a €15 million move to London. 89 games and seven goals later and Hleb was on the move again to one of the giants of world soccer--Barcelona in a €17 million move.
The move proved a mistake however and winger has made only 19 appearances at the Nou Camp and spent last season on loan with former club Stuttgart.
Admitting he made a mistake leaving Arsenal, Hleb returned to the Premier League in August signing on a season long loan deal with Birmingham City.
Currently captain of Belarus national side, Hleb has been criticized in the past for his lack of effort but his ability has never been questioned.
99. David Prutton
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Name: David Prutton
Position: midfielder
Nationality: English
Int Caps/Goals: 25 England under-21 appearances
Clubs: Nottingham Forrest, Southampton, Forrest (loan), Leeds United, Colchester United, Swindon Town
Coming through the Nottingham Forrest academy which has produced the likes of Andy Reid and Michael Dawon, Prutton earned himself a deadline day £2.5 million move to Premiership side Southampton in 2003.
Impressing in his debut season in the Premier League Prutton missed out on Wembley after being Cup tied.
Probably best remembered for receiving a 10 game suspension in 2004/05 season for pushing the referee and arguing with the assistant referee.
A spell with Leeds followed his release from the South Coast where he helped the club gain promotion for League One before moving to Colchester United.
Currently playing with Swindon Town, the midfielder may look back and wonder what happened to his Premier League days.
98: Erdal Kılıçaslan
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Name: Erdal Kılıçaslan
Position: Forward
Nationality: Turkish/Germany
Int Caps/Goals: German Youth 61 caps/41 goals
Clubs: Bayern Munich, Gaziantepspor, Gaziantep B.B (loan), Konyaspor
Prolific at youth level Kılıçaslan holds the record for goals at German youth level from under 15s to under 20s with 41 strikes in 61 games.
Much was expected from him when he was part of the youth side at Bayern Munich but two years at the club failed to bring an appearance and he left for Turkey joining Gaziantepspor where he spent three years and scored three goals in 35 games.
Joining Konyaspor in 2008 he has so far netted eight goals in 38 games and expressed his desire to represent Turkey--only for FIFA to stop him due to his age.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
97: Daniyel Cimen
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Name: Daniyel Cimen
Position: Midfielder
Nationality: German
Int caps/goals: 0/0
Clubs: Eintract Frankfurt, Eintracht Braunschweig, Kickers Offenbach, Eintracht Frankfurt II
At 25 years old, Cimen is still young enough to perhaps deliver on the pressure placed upon him in 2001.
The former Eintract midfielder has struggled to settle so far with spells with Kickers and Braunschweig but finds himself back where it all began but struggling in the reserve side.
96: Benjamin Auer
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Name: Benjamin Auer
Position: Forward
Nationality: German
Int Cap/Goal: 23/15 for Germany under 21s
Clubs:FC Kaiserslautern, Karlsruher SC, Borrusia Monchengladbach, Mainz, Vfl Bochum, FC Kaiserslautern (loan), Alemannia Aachen.
Netting 15 times for Germany under 21s, Auer was predicted to have a bright future when he burst onto the scene in 2002 as he helped fire FSV Mainz into the top flight of German football with 30 goals in 116 games.
A two year spell with German side Vfl Bochum followed but the forward managed only 19 games before moving back down to Alemannia Aachen. The forward has netted 28 goals in 55 games since joining in 2008.
95: Kaka
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Name: Kaka
Position: Attacking midfielder/forward
Nationality: Brazilian
Int goals/goal: 82/27
Clubs: Sao Paulo, AC Milan, Real Madrid
The first real superstar on the list, it's amazing to think he is only 95th on the list when you see some of the other names above him.
Formerly the world's most expensive player when Real Madrid splashed out €68.3 million to lure him from the comforts of AC Milan.
The highly religious Kaka began his career with home club Sao Paulo before moving to Italy for €8.5million in 2003.
A Brazilian international and World Cup winner--although he did not make an appearance during his country's 2002 FIFA World Cup victory.
Winning FIFA World Player of the Year in 2006-07, Kaka is one of the greatest players in the world and one of the hits from the 2001 list.
94: Azar Karadas
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Name: Azar Karadas
Position: centre forward/ central defender
Nationality: Norway
Int cap/goal: 10/1
Clubs: Brann, Rosenborg, Benfica, Portsmout, Kaiserlautern, Brann, Kasimpasa.
The 29 year year old was tipped for big things when he broke through with Brann in Norway scoring 12 in 60 games before switiching to Noweigan giants Rosenborg where he produced a similiar record of 13 goals in 60 games.
Earning a move to Portuguese giants Benfica the striker managed only four goals in 27 games before joining Premiership side Portsmouth on loan in 2005 where he managed one goal in 20 games.
Returning to Brann for a second spell he returned as a hero with the fans welcoming him with a banner which read "we hated you so much, because we loved you so much."
Karadas helped the club regain the Norweigan title before moving to Turkish second division side Kasimpasa where he has so far netted once in just 8 games since September 2009.
93. Shaun Maloney
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Name: Shaun Maloney
Position: Attacking midfielder/winger/forward
Nationality: Scottish
Int Caps/Goals: 20/1
Clubs: Celtic, Aston Villa, Celtic
An SFA Players' Player of the Year winner along with Young Player of the Year winner in the same season, Maloney was touted to be the future of Scottish football during his first spell at Celtic Park under Martin O'Neill and Gordon Strachan.
The No. 13 at Celtic made his debut for the club in the famous Old Firm Derby with Rangers in 2001 as his side ran out 3-0 winners.
Switching from forward to left winger in 2005 under new boss Gordan Strachan, Maloney was receiving praise from fans, players and opposition as he helped Celtic to the title with 28 assists and 16 goals.
His form earning him a £1million move to Aston Villa where he linked up with former boss O'Neill, but a lack of games and form saw the striker become homesick.
The highlight of his Villa spell being two goals against Chelsea in a thrilling 4-4 Boxing Day draw in 2007.
Returning to Scotland in the summer of 2008 for a reported £3 million, the flying Scotsman marked his return with a Man of the Match performance.
92. Leonardo Santiago
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Name: Leonardo Santiago
Position: Winger
Nationality: Dutch/Brazilian
Int Cap/goals: 0/0
Clubs: Feyenoord, NAC Breda, Ajax, NAC Breda
Scouted by Feyenoord at the age of 12, Leonardo Santiago moved from Brazil to Rotterdam to join the club's youth system.
Making his debut at just 17 years old for the Rotterdam side, the club found themselves in trouble due to his Brazilian background. EU rules stated a player must be 18 to make their debut if they are from outside of Europe.
A UEFA Cup winner in 2001-02, the winger was plagued with injuried making only 11 appearances between 2002-05.
Moving to NAC Breda fall outs with the clubs management marred his spell as he argued over his best position before joining former rivals Ajax for €750,000.
40 games in two years followed as he was again crippled with injuries. he returned to former club Breda in 2009 where he currently plays.
91: Kieran Richardson
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Name: Kieran Richardson
Position: Left winger
Nationality: English
Int caps/goals: 8/2
Clubs: West Ham United, Manchester United, West Brom (loan), Sunderland
Once dubbed the next Ryan Giggs during his time at Old Trafford, Richardson was perhaps a victim of his own success as he struggled to live up to the tag.
Making 41 appearances for the red devils between 2002-07 the midfielder won international recognition during a loan spell at West Brom in 2005-06.
Joining the club in January 2006 on loan he helped Bryan Robson's side survive in the Premier League before returning to Manchester.
Struggling to hold down a place at Old Trafford, Richardson joined former United captain Roy Keane at Sunderland in 2007 for £5.5 million.
Scoring the winner in the Tyne-wear Derby against Newcastle, ending 28 years at home without victory has helped win Black Cat fans over.
Currently he finds himself as the club's first choice left back under a third ex United captain Steve Bruce at the Stadium of Light.
End of Part 1
11 of 11
So part one is over--10 down, 90 to go.
More superstar names make the list, but we'll get to them later and some you may never have heard of.
Be ready for part two soon to see who is included in numbers between 90-81--an international forward from the Premier League is included in part two.
To find out who and where look at for it!
Hope you enjoyed this!
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