da betsson： Three years on from scoring three goals in the group stages of the 2014 World Cup that earned him a £12million transfer to West Ham, Enner Valencia finds himself returning to where he was once unexpectedly acquired from – the Mexican top flight.
da bet sport： The Ecuador international could never quite settle in England – in fact, it was never quite clear whether he’s a winger, a striker, both or something in between – and failed to muster up more than four goals in a single Premier League campaign.
West Ham took a gamble and in this instance, it simply didn’t pay off. But Valencia’s now confirmed return to Mexico with Tigres raises an interesting question – does recruiting players off the back of World Cup performances ever actually work?
Here’s a look at some of the good, the bad and the ugly throughout the Premier League’s 25-year history.
Ugly – Stephane Guivarc’h
The lone striker at the tip of the attack who didn’t manage to score a single goal as France claimed the 1998 World Cup on home soil, there were warning signs from the off for Newcastle even though Guivarc’h had just claimed a second consecutive Golden Boot in Ligue 1.
The change in management from Kenny Dalglish to Ruud Gullit certainly didn’t help, but the former Rennes and Auxerre striker managed only four appearances for the Magpies, scoring once, before being abruptly sold to Rangers in November.
He saw out the end of the season at Ibrox, winning the treble, before returning to Auxerre.
Good – Winston Reid
West Ham may have struck out with their swoop for Valencia but a £3.5million punt on Winston Reid following his domineering performances for New Zealand at the 2010 World Cup has proved to be a masterstroke.
His first season consisted of just seven Premier League appearances but relegation to the Championship allowed Reid time to get up to speed and upon the Hammers’ return to the top flight in 2013, he’d established himself as one of Sam Allardyce’s most important players.
A talented defender who could have left east London for a bigger Premier League club on many occasions and a real leader of the dressing room, Reid has been a huge success story for the Irons.
Bad – Daley Blind
Brought to Manchester United by Louis van Gaal after playing a key role for his Oranje side that unexpectedly made the third-place playoff in 2014, famously laying on that assist for Robin van Persie, Daley Blind was seen as one of the Dutchman’s shrewdest signings during his turbulent spell as Old Trafford boss.
Although it would be unfair to label the Netherlands utility man’s United career a complete failure, he hasn’t held down a consistent role in the first team in the way many expected and was completely left out in the cold by Jose Mourinho for large periods last season.
Like Valencia, Blind is unlikely to still be at his current club by the time the next World Cup comes around.
Good – Asamoah Gyan
One of the brightest sparks in an exciting Ghana side that reached the quarter-finals of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, where they were eventually stopped by a Luis Suarez handball, Asamoah Gyan missing a vital penalty in stoppage time wasn’t enough to deter Steve Bruce from bringing the African striker to Sunderland.
Gyan’s Black Cats career started with a bang too, netting 10 goals in 31 Premier League appearances during his first season as Sunderland finished in a respectable tenth place.
But it turned out Gyan wasn’t too fond of Wearside and forced through a move to Al Ain just twelve months into his stay, where he scored a ridiculous amount of goals and picked up an equally ridiculous salary.
Good – Javier Mascherano & Carlos Tevez
The footballing world was shocked when two of Argentina’s most exciting young players at the 2006 World Cup turned up at Upton Park immediately after the tournament in Germany.
Javier Mascherano and Carlos Tevez were part of the new generation breaking into the Albiceleste first team and many had tipped them to join one of Europe’s leading clubs, so landing the duo was a real swoop for the Hammers.
Whereas Mascherano found himself somewhat inexplicably left out of the starting XI for the sake of Hayden Mullins, Tevez proved to be the difference in West Ham’s survival bid, scoring against the club he’d later join, Manchester United, on the final day of the season.
The double deal, however, soon landed the Irons in hot water as third-party ownership lead to the threat of points deduction and consequently, likely relegation. But the FA let off the Hammers with a record fine of £5.5million and both players went onto establish themselves amongst Europe’s footballing elite.
Ugly – El Hadji Diouf and Salif Diao
Arguably the archetype of World Cup flops, Senegal’s stunning win over reigning champions France at the 2002 World Cup and subsequent progression to the quarter-finals was enough for Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier to move for the team’s two biggest stars – winger-forward El Hadji Diouf, a member of the World Cup’s all-star team that year, and defensive midfielder Salif Diao.
It quickly became apparent, however, that neither had the quality for a club of Liverpool’s stature; Diao made 37 Premier League appearances over three seasons and spent much of his time out on loan, whereas Diouf was given two campaigns before being sent packing to Bolton Wanderers.
Diouf would go on to become one of the most disliked players in Premier League history for various antics involving spitting and racist remarks – just to add further insult to injury for Liverpool, who shelled out a combined £15million