Famous Footballers who failed at first and then bounced back stronger

While the likes of Jude Bellingham, Jamal Musiala and Alejandro Garnacho have already made a name for themselves in the football world, it’s not every player who becomes a star while still young. From Manchester United’s legendary midfielder Roy Keane to former Chelsea and Atletico Madrid forward Diego Costa, there are several footballers who failed at first.

Becoming a household name in the football world requires more than just talent, you need to put in hard work and have the right mentality. Even if things fall apart at the start, you need to hold on and wait for the right time to finally shine like the players below. Here are footballers who failed at first and are now an inspiration to many young players worldwide.

1. Roy Keane

Roy Keane. Photo/ Transfermarkt.

Widely regarded as one of the greatest midfielders of all time, Roy Keane was a fierce player who many didn’t want to face on the pitch. From individual awards to trophies, he did achieve success during his playing days, especially with Manchester United.

However, things weren’t handed to him on a silver platter. Keane, one of the top footballers who failed at first,  worked hard to earn himself a place at the top. He had several failed trials with top English clubs and would have given up on his dreams of becoming a footballer while still a teenager because his confidence was shattered.

Keane choose to go to Irish Semi professional side Cobh Ramblers FC and his career would take a turn for the better when he moved to Nottingham Forest. He finally moved to Manchester United and the rest as they say is history.

2. Jamie Vardy

Jamie Vardy. Photo/ beIN SPORTS.

Now regarded one of the best strikers of his generation, Jamie Vardy never had its smooth as a youth footballer. He started his football journey in the youth system at Sheffield Wednesday, but was released when he was 16. He then joined Stocksbridge Park Steels, where he spent the last years of his youth career.

Vardy then found himself playing for non league clubs and it seemed as if things had completely fallen apart for him. However, he made a name for himself after finishing as the top scorer in the Conference Premier in 2012, after which he was signed by Leicester City. With the Foxes, Vardy won the Championship and even the Premier League title. He is now in the latter stages of his career but still a lethal goalscorer.

3. Diego Costa 

Growing up in his native Brazil, Diego Costa had a lot of unsuccessful trials with top clubs. It seemed he was unworthy of becoming a pro footballer but got an opportunity to play for Brazilian lower-tier side Barcelona SP. From there, Costa moved to Portugal where he joined Portuguese top-flight club FC Braga.

However, he spent most of his time as a Braga player on loan at other clubs. Eventually, he landed at Atletico Madrid and that’s where his story changed. In two seasons with the Spanish giants, he scored 56 goals in 96 appearances. He later moved to Chelsea FC where he won multiple titles scoring crucial goals. Currently, he plays for Gremio.

Diego Costa. Photo/ Goal.com.

4. Michel Platini 

French legend Michel Platini is one of the footballers who failed at first. As a youngster in the late 1960’s Platini failed on several club trials due to many reasons, ranging from injury to poor health being one of them.

With the help of his father, Platini joined Nancy where his career took off. From there, he had a spell at Saint-Etienne and later in Italy where he played for Serie A giants Juventus. The former French Midfielder later on went to play for his country at 3 World Cups and would win the Ballon d’Or award in 1983, 1984 and 1985.

5. Demba Ba

While many don’t know his whereabouts at the moment, Demba Ba was at some point one of the best strikers in the Premier League. But just like the other footballers who failed at first on this list, Ba didn’t have a smooth start to his football journey.

Demba Ba. Photo/ These Football Times.

Ba failed to make any positive impact when he was young and turned away by clubs such as Lyon FC and Auxerre FC after failing trials. He started his senior career at French club Rouen and had to wait until moving to England where he became famous for his goalscoring. Ba played for West Ham, Newcastle United and Chelsea in the Premier League before moving to Turkey. The 38-year-old is now retired.