Amidst the ever-present and further growing media scrutiny in football, we have and continue to see a plethora of talented prospects and often exaggeratedly hyped players for the public eye to behold. It seems as though becoming the center of media attention is so easy these days. On the other hand, with the growing emergence of young players and the subsequent attention shift, coupled with the difficulty to sustain or match the pressure of hype-induced expectation, it is just as easy to fade out of the public view. After some deliberation, I have managed to compile an XI of players who have faded out of the eyes of many a football fan alike. Bear in mind that to be in contention for the XI, the players noted must not have retired from the sport.

GK- Rene Adler
An indubitably talented goalkeeper, Adler was often touted as a potential stalwart for the German national team. Not the most fortunate goalkeeper due to injury, he has fallen down the pecking order, no disgrace due to the emergence of Manuel Neuer as the world's best goalkeeper these days. However, it appears as though with the seasoned Weidenfeller and talented keepers in Zieler, ter Stegen and his Leverkusen successor in Leno, coupled with the relegation dogfight he has had to contend with at Hamburg, Adler's prospects with Die Mannschaft seem to have been numbered.






RB- Jose Bosingwa

Initially an undisputed right back with the Portuguese national team, and a former regular at Chelsea, the unibrowed Bosingwa seems to have fallen off the radar. From the highs of winning the Champions League in 2012, he fell to the nadir of relegation with Queens Park Rangers. Since then, he has been plying his trade at Turkish side Trabzonspor. Known for his pace and work ethic, with some more potential years left in him, and the weakness of the Portuguese defense, perhaps he could still end his career on a relative high.

CB- Jonathan Woodgate

The former England international whose career has been blighted by injury, the 35 year old Woodgate is currently part of the defense at Middlesbrough. After making the biggest mistake of his career and signing for Real Madrid in the mid 2000s, he seemed to have resurrected his career at Spurs and Stoke. However, with up-and-down performances, he has not seen Premier League action or the prospect
of another England call-up in a while, something which does not seem likely to change as he approaches the end of a career which has been plagued by what could have been, but sadly wasn't.

CB- Gael Givet
The 33 year old French left-back Givet had high prospects as a vital cog of the Champions League runner-up Monaco side and a member (albeit a fringe player) of the French side which made it to the final of the 2006 World Cup. A versatile defender who can also play at left-back, he since then forged a respectable career at Blackburn Rovers, but he has faded into relative oblivion in Ligue 2 with Arles-Avignon. Needless to say, Givet's career has not panned out the way he would have wanted or expected it to.





LB- Royston Drenthe

Initially one of the most talented players in the Netherlands,
Drenthe showed his skills as a pacy wing-back and left-winger
initially at Feyenoord, before being snatched up by Real Madrid by
Bernd Schuster. Initially a regular at the team, and earning a deserved
call-up to the Dutch national team, Drenthe fell down the pecking order due to the emergence of Marcelo. He showed some of his true talent during a stint at Everton, but now at the age of 28, when he should be at his peak, it appears as though his peak prowess has passed already. Not adding to his sole cap for the Netherlands, he is currently at Turkish side Kayseri Erciyesspor, which has been relegated from the Turkish Super Lig. A true shame to see a true talent rise and fall so quickly.

RM- Shaun Wright-Phillips

Initially the hot prospect of English football during his stint with Manchester City, this talented winger has really not lived up to his full potential. He showed glimpses of his ability at Chelsea as well, and was always there or therabouts
in the Three Lions national team for the 2006 and 2010 World Cups. However, since moving to Queens Park Rangers, his waning form saw him relegated to the bench and he has been part of two relegations from the Premier League. Now
in his thirties, and with the likes of Oxlade-Chamberlain, Walcott, Sterling et al.,an England call-up is surely out of the question. He is currently training with the New York Red Bulls where his brother Bradley has been churning in the goals
(success in mediocrity). I'm sure even father Ian Wright is wondering how Shaun's career has stagnated the way it has.






CM- Felipe Melo

A fiery, no-nonsense defensive midfielder, in the late 2000s,
Felipe Melo showed his ability in La Liga, before earning a
deserved stint with the Brazil national team and for Juventus.
However, his fiery nature often got the better of him, as seen
in his sending off in Brazil's 2010 World Cup quarter-final
defeat to the Dutch, and winning the dubious Golden Bin awardduring his Serie A stint. His off-field antics also leave a lot
to be desired. He is currently enjoying some success
with Turkish side Galatasaray, but it is safe to say that he won't
be getting a Brazil call-up anytime soon.


LM- Kleberson

A World Cup winner in 2002 with Brazil, it is safe to say that this was
as good as it was going to get for midfielder Kleberson. A flop at Manchester United, it is safe to say that he wasn't one of Sir Alex's best signings. He's been a bit of a nomad ever since, and now at 36, at the twilight of his career, he is revelling in mediocrity in the NASL for the Indy Eleven. Still, he can boast winning football's greatest competition.







RW- Ryan Babel

A truly pacy winger and attacker, Ryan Babel was one of many
prospects to emerge from Ajax. Initially a regular member of the
Dutch squad in two World Cups and for Rafa's Liverpool, the hype
seemed to get to Babel's head. Still not even 30, he has not been
in the Dutch side for years, and is currently at Turkish side
Kasimpasa. A boasty player who is known for his rapping off the
pitch, Babel has disappeared from the following of many a football
enthusiast.











CF- Alexandre Pato

Initially a key member of the A.C. Milan attack, Pato
is not the most fortunate man in football. A proven
goal-scorer who is versatile and motile, Pato attained a
successful goal-scoring record for the Rossoneri and for the
Brazil national team during the late 2000s and early on
in this decade, However, his career since then has been
blighted by injuries, and he has returned to his native
Brazil. He is still showing some goal-scoring prowess at the
still young age of 25, and given the poor display by the likes of Fred, Jo, and Tardelli, I believe that a Brazil call-up, together with a return to Europe, could still be on the cards. His main obstacle: his dodgy thigh muscles.









LW- Andrei Arshavin

During his peak in the late 2000s with Zenit
and the EURO 2008 semi-finalists Russia,
Arshavin's incredible pace and all-round talent as
an attacker impressed me to no end. He was 6th in the
Ballon D'Or ranks in 2008, and after signing for the Gunners
showed his attacking prowess scoring all four goals in a
thrilling draw at Anfield. A Champions League goal against
Barcelona and a impressive first season at the Emirates
was followed by a drop in form and a self-confessed
period of depression at Arsenal. He also lost some of the previous
adoration of the Russian fans after his comments lambasting the fans who criticized him on their disappointing EURO 2012 campaign. Seeking to keep his spot in the Russian national team, he returned to Zenit, where he continues to ply his trade. However, he was dropped from the 2014 World Cup squad, and has not been calledup by national coach Fabio Capello ever since. Now in his mid-30s, Arshavin would have been disappointed by how his career
eventually panned out, but overall, he can consider himself one of Russia's
best players of the post-Soviet era.






There were, of course, a number of other possible additions to this XI, with special attention going out to the following: Scott Carson, Anderson, Federico Macheda, Dmitri Chygrynskiy, Roman Pavlyuchenko, Freddy Adu, Julio Baptista, Demy de Zeeuw, Amauri, Lassana Diarra, Micah Richards, Hamit and Halil Altintop, Diego Ribas, Kevin Kuranyi, Sebastien Squillaci, Andrea Dossena, Alan Smith, Cicinho, Javier Saviola, Adriano, Taye Taiwo and Albert Riera.