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Who are some examples of 'late-bloomer' footballers?

Foxycafc
Foxycafc Posts: 1,216
in Other Football and Sports
So far I've got this list:

Olivier Giroud
Jamie Vardy
Luka Modrić
Emi Martínez
Mohamed Salah
Barnabas Várga
Luca Toni
Dimitri Payet
Andrea Barzagli
Robin Gosens
«1

Comments

  • DaveMehmet
    DaveMehmet Posts: 21,752
    Ian Wright 
  • DaveMehmet
    DaveMehmet Posts: 21,752
    Alan Devonshire 
  • Mendonca In Asdas
    Mendonca In Asdas Posts: 22,709
    Alfie May.
  • Foxycafc
    Foxycafc Posts: 1,216
    DaveMehmet said:
    Alan Devonshire 
    Is it bad if I didn't know who that was?
  • Scoham
    Scoham Posts: 37,747
    Rickie Lambert
    Grant Holt
    Yann Kermorgant

    All target men who went from L1 to the Prem in their late 20s/early 30s. The first two with the same club, we of course missed out on that second promotion, but Yann did it with Bournemouth.
  • ForeverAddickted
    ForeverAddickted Posts: 96,171
    Teddy Sheringham and Jamie Vardy
  • Stig
    Stig Posts: 29,292
    Foxycafc said:
    DaveMehmet said:
    Alan Devonshire 
    Is it bad if I didn't know who that was?
    No, it's good. It means you don't spent too much of your time around West Ham fans.
  • JaShea99
    JaShea99 Posts: 5,500
    Ivan Toney.
  • paulsturgess
    paulsturgess Posts: 3,966
    edited September 2024
    Alan pardoo …. 😬
  • killerandflash
    killerandflash Posts: 70,444
    edited September 2024
    DaveMehmet said:
    Alan Devonshire 
    Not sure he's a late bloomer. He made his West Ham debut aged 20 and got England caps aged 24.

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  • killerandflash
    killerandflash Posts: 70,444
    Johnnie Jackson? He certainly peaked quite late in his career, especially in his goal scoring.
  • Bournemouth Addick
    Bournemouth Addick Posts: 16,302
    Bradley Pritchard was 25(?) when he first played for us.
  • Masterbrew
    Masterbrew Posts: 277
    Tony Book
  • Covered_End_Lad
    Covered_End_Lad Posts: 5,757
    Ricky Lambert
  • SantaClaus
    SantaClaus Posts: 7,718
    edited September 2024
    Neil Redfearn (though not with us).
  • Addick Addict
    Addick Addict Posts: 40,453
    Colin "Paddy" Powell - didn't join us until he was 25 from non league Barnet and went on to play over 300 games 
  • KiwiValley
    KiwiValley Posts: 3,411
    Kiwivalley - footballing fame and success is just ahead of me. I’m sure of it…
  • iaitch
    iaitch Posts: 10,336
    Geoff Horsfield
  • JohnBoyUK
    JohnBoyUK Posts: 9,126
    Foxycafc said:
    So far I've got this list:

    Olivier Giroud
    Jamie Vardy
    Luka Modrić
    Emi Martínez
    Mohamed Salah
    Barnabas Várga
    Luca Toni
    Dimitri Payet
    Andrea Barzagli
    Robin Gosens
    You cant put Modric on that list.  He was a full Croatia international BEFORE he signed for Spurs and was already heralded as a massive talent and it was a shock he went to Spurs as all the big clubs wanted him.

    94 games for Dynamo Zagreb
    120 odd games for Spurs
    360 odd games for Real Madrid.
  • Stewart
    Stewart Posts: 2,465
    Hopefully Gassan Ahadme

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  • Exiled_Addick
    Exiled_Addick Posts: 17,233
    Roger Milla was 38 when he became a worldwide star at Italia 90. 
  • bobmunro
    bobmunro Posts: 21,088
    edited September 2024
    These two:

    Chris Stark on X WilliamChalk Conversation starters on beer mats though are where a seed of something can begin Youll never get the complete solution on the back of a beer mat

  • redlanered
    redlanered Posts: 2,223
    What about the guy who was the oldest man to make his England debut (aged 31) for 46 years?  (the previous debutant being a 'keeper)

    Some bloke called Chris Powell..
  • Lordflashheart
    Lordflashheart Posts: 5,639
    Tony Cascarino 
  • _MrDick
    _MrDick Posts: 13,147
    Luke Berry  
  • RodneyCharltonTrotta
    RodneyCharltonTrotta Posts: 14,863
    Macauley Bonne. Still waiting 
  • SporadicAddick
    SporadicAddick Posts: 6,992
    edited September 2024
    Foxycafc said:
    DaveMehmet said:
    Alan Devonshire 
    Is it bad if I didn't know who that was?
    Only if it’s bad that I haven’t heard of 5 of the people on your list, and of the others, I wouldn’t have a clue who they play for or how old they were when they started with the exception of Vardy.
  • thai malaysia addick
    thai malaysia addick Posts: 18,531
    Kevin Davies of Bolton
  • LenGlover
    LenGlover Posts: 31,720
    Olly Watkins ex Western Super Mare FC
  • Garrymanilow
    Garrymanilow Posts: 13,434
    I don't think Mo Salah is a late bloomer. Neither is Luka Modric for that matter. Salah made his debut in Egypt aged 17 and moved abroad to Basel, a Champions League team, when he was 19. He won the Swiss League and won the Golden Player award He then signed for Chelsea, then perennial Premier League and Champions League challengers, aged 21. He was mismanaged by Chelsea which wasted his time more than anything else but he subsequently tore it up across 2.5 Serie A seasons leading to him being signed by Liverpool aged 25. Since he was 20 he's been playing Champions League football and has been a player exclusively for top clubs in whatever country he's been in. Him getting better and better in line with having more experience isn't late blooming. Modric signed for Spurs aged 22 for £16m and played Champions League football for them before signing for Real Madrid in his prime years. Late bloomers are players who were languishing and then suddenly became top-level players, not just players who kept improving

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