There are many young talents in world football at the moment, but today we look at 10 former wonderkids who failed to reach the heights expected of them.
Tired of reading? Click through the gallery to see 10 players who did not live up to the hype, according to Marca!
The first player mentioned in Spanish publication Marca's list is former FC Barcelona youth academy star Gai Assulin, who made his debut for the club under Pep Guardiola. The now 26-year-old showed promise while coming through the Catalan club's ranks, but the senior setup proved too big a step for the Israeli winger.
Former Benfica man Freddy Adu is another name who always seems to be mentioned in these conversations, following all the hype that surrounded the former USA international.
Former Manchester United man Federico Macheda is also on the list, given the impact he had when he broke into the Red Devils' first team in 2009. The Italian has since played for the likes of Sampdoria, Queens Park Rangers, Stuttgart, Doncaster and Cardiff City.
Former Real Madrid attacker Javier Portillo has perhaps not had the career he expected to have following his impressive goalscoring records for Real's "B" team. The player failed to make the grade in Los Blancos' first side before coming somewhat of a journeyman.
Yoann Gourcuff, 31, was also tipped to have a great career following his 2006 move from Stade Rennais to Italian giants AC Milan, who were still among Europe's elite at the time of the transfer. The midfielder never managed to fulfil his potential, though, despite representing his country on 32 occasions.
Former Chelsea midfielder Gael Kakuta has also features on Marca's list, as does Arsenal's Jack Wilshere. The Englishman's injury struggles have halted what might have been a spectacular career following his breakthrough to the Gunners' first team when he was a teenager.
David Bentley was once called "the new David Beckham" as he impressed at Tottenham Hotspur, where he scored some incredible goals earlier in his career. After a series of off-field issues, Bentley found life tough as a professional footballer and retired at just 29 years old.
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Former Manchester United and Brazil international Anderson has also been named among the publication's failed wonderkids, as is Fran Merida, who began his senior career at Arsenal in 2007.
Can you name any other payers you feel failed to fulfil their potential? Let us know in the comments section below.
