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10 Footballers You May Have Forgotten About

In the world of football, many talented footballers shine brightly during their peak, only to fade into obscurity as time passes. There are a ton of players who have a short stint at their peak or are extremely hyped up due to their incredible talent but fail to live up to their potential. These footballers just fade into the background to be forgotten by future generations. This article talks about such footballers, who, while famous at one point, have now been forgotten by football fans and are now just echoes of past brilliance.

Footballers You May Have Forgotten About

Bojan Krkic

Bojan Krkic is a Spanish professional footballer who played from 2006 to 2023. Krkic started his career by graduating from La Masia and played for the La Liga giants till 2011. He was supposed to be the next big talent and have enough potential to be the next Lionel Messi. While he displayed a lot of talent, his career never really took off, and Barcelona decided to part ways with him. He ended up playing for various big clubs like AS Roma and AC Milan but never really lived up to his hype and potential. Bojan Krkic ended up retiring at the young age of 32, with the announcement being made at Camp Nou on 23rd March 2023.

Yannick Bolasie

Credit: Daily Mail

Yannick Bolasie was an absolute baller who played for Crystal Palace, Everton, and Aston Villa in the Premier League and currently plays for the Brazilian professional football club Cruzeiro Esporte Clube. The DR Congo footballer signed for Crystal Palace ahead of the 2012/13 season. He ended up representing them across four seasons before moving to Everton on 15th August 2016. His stint at the Toffees also included a season-long loan to Aston Villa. While Bolasie was a very skilful player and one people loved to look forward to seeing during his time in the Premier League, people seem to have forgotten about him.

Santi Cazorla

When Santi Cazorla had the ball at his feet, he was unstoppable.pic.twitter.com/TdYokJUJyw

— Arsenal Reveal (@Arsenal_Reveal) April 22, 2025

Santi Cazorla is another Spanish professional footballer who is still currently an active player. Cazorla is currently a Spanish professional football club, Oviedo, and has been representing them since he joined them on 16th August 2023. Cazorla first broke out to the scene while playing for Villarreal, and he had two separate stints with them before moving to Malaga. Arsenal signed the talented midfielder ahead of the 2012/13 season and played for the Gunners in six different seasons, making 180 appearances for the club across all competitions. Cazorla is known for his time with Arsenal, and it was here that he made a name for himself.

Hatem Ben Arfa

Hatem Ben Arfa is another talented footballer who was the talk of the town from 2004 to 2015. Labelled as a prodigy from a very young age, great things were expected from the talented French star. He started his senior career while playing for Olympique Lyonnais (Lyon) before moving to Marseille. His talent was spotted by various Premier League clubs, and Newcastle United decided to sign him, first on loan and then on a permanent basis. However, while he showed sparks of his talent, he never really lived up to his potential, and his hype died down. He also ended up playing for PSG, but everyone quickly forgot who the talented Ben Arfa was.

Shinji Kagawa

Credit: Sky Sports

Shinji Kagawa is another player whom people seem to have forgotten about, and barely anyone knows that he is still an active footballer. The talented midfielder currently plays for the Japanese football club Cerezo Osaka. The Japanese footballer spent most of his career representing German side Borussia Dortmund and English side Manchester United, and it was while playing for these two clubs that he made a name for himself. While Kagawa did quite well for these clubs, he seemed to completely disappear off the grid after finishing his second stint with BVB, and now very few fans around the world remember the talented midfielder.

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Alvaro Negredo

🚨 𝗢𝗙𝗙𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗟: Former Manchester City striker Álvaro Negredo has announced his retirement at the age of 39.

He scored 300 career goals in 771 appearances. 👋🇪🇸 pic.twitter.com/uSNtogCyWW

— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Football__Tweet) March 6, 2025

Alvaro Negredo was a Spanish professional footballer who only recently decided to hang up his boots. Negredo started his career with Rayo Vallecano, but his talent was apparent right from the start. He ended up playing for some very big clubs like Real Madrid, Sevilla, Manchester City, and Valencia. However, Alvaro Negredo slowly faded into the background and became a forgotten thought despite his contributions to the game. The most recent club he played for was Valladolid, signing for them on 8th February 2024 until the end of the campaign. Negredo has now started working on his coaching license and announced his retirement on 6th March 2025.

Arda Turan

Credit: FC Barcelona

Arda Turan is another player who is sometimes forgotten despite all his achievements throughout his career. The Turkish midfielder started his career at Galatasaray, and while he was good for them, his real fame came when he transferred to Atletico Madrid in 2011. Turan played for them for four seasons before Barcelona came calling. They signed Arda Turan on 6th July 2015, and he continued to represent them till 2020 before moving back to his boyhood club, Galatasaray. Arda Turan played for the Turkish club for two seasons before announcing on 12th September 2022 that he had decided to hang up his boots.

Marco van Ginkel

Marco van Ginkel rose to prominence while playing for Dutch football club Vitesse. He showed remarkable talent from a very young age, and the English Premier League side, Chelsea, decided to make a move for him. They signed him on 3rd July 2013, but he ended up spending quite a lot of his Chelsea career on loan to other clubs like AC Milan, Stoke City, and PSV. He stayed at the club till the end of the 2020/21 season but never really realised his potential. Chelsea decided to part ways with the Dutch star, and he joined PSV on a permanent basis before returning to Vitesse in 2023. The forgotten star currently plays for the Portuguese side of Boavista.

Jakub Blaszczykowski

Streets won’t forget Jakub Błaszczykowski at BVB.. 🎬pic.twitter.com/jJ0GcII8hh

— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) August 5, 2023

Jakub Blaszczykowski is another footballer who was quite known during his playing career but seems to have faded into the background and is now forgotten. Blaszczykowski played for KS Czestochowa and Wisla Krakow before joining Borussia Dortmund ahead of the 2007/08 season. It was while playing for BVB that he made a name for himself, and he ended up playing for the German club from 2007 to 2016. The Polish winger turned into a fantastic player for them and followed up his BVB career with a good stint at VfL Wolfsburg. Blaszczykowski returned to Wisla Krakow in 2019 and played for them for four years before retiring on 27th July 2023.

Javier Pastore

Javier Pastore was an Argentine attacking midfielder who was known for his time at the French football club Paris Saint-Germain. Pastore played for a series of clubs like Talleres, Huracan, and Palermo, but it was after he joined Paris Saint-Germain in 2011 that Pastore started making a name for himself. The Argentine midfielder ended up playing for them from 2011 to 2018 before leaving to join Serie A side AS Roma. He played for the Italian club till 2021 before moving to Elche. Javier Pastore made a move to Qatari side Qatar SC on 11th January 2023 but is now planning to retire at the end of the 2023/24 season.

For more news articles and informative updates on football articles and various footballers as well as other football and cricket updates, keep reading GutshotMagazine.com.

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