Then again, there are other occasions when too much of an external intrusion on the lives and privacies of young players just looking to play a sport they love can cause all that planning, preparation and hard work to go awry at the worst possible time. Precocious starlets are often the most culpable parties in wasting their precious talent, and it's usually a combination of rebellion, nonchalance and disinterest that see them throwing away their gifts. Of course, it's not always so bad, as some stars can experience a prolonged dip out of the public eye before jolting back for a determined renaissance - it's just not that common, in truth.

It's a harsh realisation, but it's happened so many times, and it's likely to keep on happening as the beautiful game sometimes chooses to reveal it's uglier underbelly. Wandering away from the path that seemed to suit them so well, some fail to produce the expected goods before they've ever really made it big, while others soar high for a short period before getting shot down before they can achieve much of note - in rare cases, even the most talented players can reach the peak, but crash out of orbit far too soon due to lifestyle issues, substance abuse, misfortune or just plain laziness. Down through the years there have been quite a number of youngsters who have promised so much only for the reality of life to kick in.hard. Narrowing down a list of prodigious soccer stars who have lost their way is no enviable task.

What happend to soccer