Ten flash-in-the-pan Premier League flops

There are players that make an instant impact and light up the Premier League – and there are players who get tongues wagging for all the wrong reasons.

With the start of the new Premier League season now kicked off, we remember 10 players who infamously enjoyed a fleeting stay in England’s top flight.

The man lured to Anfield to be Xabi Alonso’s replacement failed in stunning fashion as he managed a paltry nine Premier League starts in three seasons at Liverpool.

As such a big fan of ‘facts’, Rafael Benitez will be well aware that the £20m he spent on Aquilani was a ridiculous waste of money. Fact.

Ali Dia

Rule number one about playing under Graeme Souness is don’t annoy Graeme Souness. Ali Dia did and his Premier League career lasted all of 53 minutes.

Souness was conned into thinking Dia was George Weah’s cousin when he signed him for Southampton in 1996, but the ‘striker’ was soon found out in his one and only appearance against Leeds.

Bogarde’s bank balance increased by a reported £10m during a four-year spell with Chelsea between 2000 and 2004 that saw him play just nine times in the Premier League.

That’s pretty much a cool million pounds per game – nice work if you can get it!

Marco Boogers

Another player who disappeared into the shadows in London was Boogers, who must rank as one of the worst players in Premier League history.

The Dutch forward made all four of his top-flight appearances for West Ham from the bench and was sent off in one of them for clattering Gary Neville.

From Brazil to Bolton, big things were expected of Jardel when he arrived at the Reebok Stadium in 2003.

This was, after all, a striker who twice won the European Golden Shoe. Surely he’d fill his boots in England? Hardly. He never even broke his duck in the Premier League for the Trotters!

Roque Junior

Sent off and part of a Leeds team that leaked 25 goals – including six against Portsmouth – in his disastrous seven-game spell at Elland Road, Junior made a swift exit from the Premier League.

Nevertheless, Junior did clock up an impressive 40-odd Brazil caps.

Pairing together goal machines Alan Shearer and Kluivert at Newcastle in 2004 seemed a masterstroke on paper.

The duo, though, never really hit it off and the Dutchman’s 13-goal haul from 37 appearances in all competitions flattered to deceive.

Per Koldrup

Evertonians still shudder when they hear Koldrup’s name as the Toffees wasted £5m on the Danish defender in 2005.

An injury delayed his debut and he ended up making just a solitary Premier League appearance before leaving after one season.

Another player to endure misery on Merseyside was Materazzi, who memorably clashed with Zinedine Zidane in the 2006 World Cup final.