It seems to happen all too often; a highly promising player bursts onto the scene, the media hypes them up to be the next global superstar, and all the big clubs come sniffing around like hounds to a fox. And then, all of a sudden, they slip off the radar.
There are numerous examples of players in English football's lower leagues, who could well have been so much more successful than they eventually were.
But sometimes, and arguably the most devastating for all involved, a player gets his big move, before seeing injuries tear their dreams to shreds. Of course, the next thing to happen, is that player gets forgotten about, and in the end, their talent was never done justice.
I am referring to one player in particular here. The German midfielder, David Odonkor was expected to go on to become one of the top, top players in the game.
Funnily enough, it was only due to a chance game of FIFA one day that I noticed the pacey winger in squad of Real Betis. At first I was not quite sure where I knew his name from, but as soon as I looked it up, everything came flooding back.
Odonkor began his career with Borussia Dortmund in his homeland. Playing for the club's second team as a 17-year-old, he impressed coaches with his pace and ability on the right wing. Indeed, he was heralded as one of the brightest prospects in the German game.
Having made almost 50 appearances at that level, he was given his chance in the first team at the Westfalenstadion. The step up certainly did not faze him, and he went onto play a further 75 games for the club.
It was that form in the German Bundesliga that attracted the attention of Jürgen Klinsmann, the coach of the national team. Odonkor had been playing in the under-21's, and making a big impression, but would surely have been thrilled when he heard that it was not the Euro 2006 under-21 championships that he would be going to, but instead, the World Cup.
He had been given his chance with the seniors, and was determined to build on his reputation. He was well known in Germany by this point, but the opportunity to announce himself to the world was awaiting.
While England's bright hope of the time, Theo Walcott did not play a single game in the tournament, Odonkor featured four times from the bench for his country. He even provided an assist to Oliver Neuville in the group match against Poland.
Suddenly, the world knew who David Odonkor was, and Spanish big boys, Real Betis were the most interested spectator. Despite having signed a new five-year deal with Dortmund, the opportunity to ply his trade against the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona was just too tempting.
He switched for a fee, which at the time seemed an absolute steel, of €6m (£5m), and was expected to fill the boots of Joaquín Sánchez, who had moved to Valencia for €25m (£22m) earlier in the summer.
Just days before his big move, he had been involved in a friendly for Germany against England, in what was the first full-international to be played at the new Wembley Stadium.
As the season got under-way, Odonkor could not have possibly known what hell the next few seasons would bring. After all, things were still running smoothly for him – in the September he netted his first international goal against Romania.
But it was then that things began to go awry. A knee injury saw his first season at the club go down as nothing less than a write off. He made just 13 appearance all season – an eerie number considering what it meant for his career.
In his second season at the club, he seemed to have shaken off his injury, and looked fit and raring to go. He made a bright start, but was soon sidelined again, with another knee injury. His demise had parallels with Betis', at the end of the season, following a 1-1 draw with Valladolid, the club was relegated to the Segunda Division.
With the club in the doldrums, several English clubs saw it as a chance to try and snap Odonkor up for a pittance. He made his desire to move to England clear, as Midlands duo, Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Bromwich Albion were repeatedly linked. No move materialised, and Odonkor remained with Betis.
At the end of the 2010-11 season, Odonkor was finally released by the Spanish club, now back in La Liga. His reputation battered, he began looking for another club. That took him to Glasgow, where he went on trial with Rangers. Now, no disrespect to the Ibrox club, but had his career carried on as it was back in 2006, a move to Scotland would have been considered well below his level.
Instead, nothing came of his trial – he was not offered a deal. Deflated, he was left to search elsewhere for his chance to get back into the game.
As the transfer window slammed shut, he was one of those players left without a club. Indeed, he can still sign for someone outside of the window, due to his free agent status – but the days of World Cup glory, La Liga hope, and Bundesliga promise are long behind him.
At 27, he should now be at the peak of his career, and looking forward to an exciting future. Instead, he is just one of those sad few players left wondering if he even has one.
