WE LIKE to class the Premier League as the biggest and best in the world. The league where all the top stars want to come and ply their trade.
Thousands of players have played in the Premier League, some more successfully than others.
The following three players came to taste the English top-flight but didn't quite make the grade despite having decent careers elsewhere...
WILLIAM PRUNIER MANCHESTER UNITED
Prunier played with the Eric Cantona in the Auxerre youth team and would go on to play over 250 times for the team from Burgundy.
Described as the cosmopolitan, ball-playing defender that Red Devils boss Alex Ferguson was looking for, Prunier had carved out a solid career in Ligue 1, firstly with Auxerre, then with reigning European champions Marseille and finally with Bordeaux after Marseille had been relegated to Ligue 2 due to financial issues.
Prunier would begin to find himself spending more time on the bench before his very random move to Old Trafford.
Fergie's United were trailing Kevin Keegan's entertainers and suffering something of a defensive crisis. Steve Bruce, Gary Pallister and David May were all injured as the busy Christmas period approached.
The defender bought out his Bordeaux contract for a chance of a trial at United, with Cantona presumably putting a good word in for his old pal.
Prunier was not intended to be used by United quite so soon but was thrown in to partner a young Gary Neville in the heart of defence for the fixture at home to Queens Park Rangers. Things went well with the Frenchman earning plaudits for his part in a 2-1 victory over Ray Wilkins' men. He laid on a goal for Andy Cole and hit the bar with a well-struck shot of his own.
A trip to Tottenham on New Year's Day 1996 would not end quite so well.
Denne historien er fra March - April 2024-utgaven av Late Tackle Football Magazine.
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Denne historien er fra March - April 2024-utgaven av Late Tackle Football Magazine.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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MINNOWS FLEX THEIR MUSCLES
TOM WINCH LOOKS AT THOSE COUNTRIES ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A NAME FOR THEMSELVES ON THE INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL MAP
THE FUTURE OF FOOTBALL PROGRAMMES
DAVID OHL GIVES HIS IDEAS ON HOW TO PROTECT A MUCH-LOVED INSTITUION THAT HAS COME UNDER INCREASING PRESSURE
RETURN TO SHEPPEY
MICHAEL GRIMES TAKES A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE...
COOK'S 18 CITY 94 AMBITIOUS RECIPE
SAM SHEPPEY LOOKS AT THE ROLE OF GARRY COOK IN THE RISE OF MAN CITY AND HIS NEXT STEPS
UNEXPECTED EUROPEAN HOSTS
SAM TODD LOOKS AT THE SELECT GROUP OF ENGLISH GROUNDS WHICH HAVE BEEN HOME TO EUROPEAN FOOTBALL BUT NOT A DOMESTIC TOP FLIGHT FIXTURE
WHEN DANNY BOY WAS SMILING
COLIN ALLAN RECALLS A FAMOUS NORTHERN IRELAND VICTORY AGAINST ENGLAND AT WEMBLEY ALMOST YEARS AGO
FINDING THE FAR CORNER AGAIN ISIONHE
JONNY BRICK PLUCKS ANOTHER BOOK FROM THE SHELVES OF THE FOOTBALL LITERARY SOCIETY, THIS ONE A CULT CLASSIC PUBLISHED IN 1994
SEASIDE ADVENTURE
POET AND WRITER CHRIS TOWERS HEADED TO WESTON SUPER MARE TO SEE THEM TAKE ON ENFIELD TOWN IN NATIONAL LEAGUE SOUTH
ALL HAIL THE KING
ROBERT J WILSON LOOKS BACK AT THE LIFE OF THE LATE, GREAT DENIS LAW
YOU'LL NEVER WALK ALONE LIVERPOOL FOOTBALL CLUB EST-1892 SLOT MACHINE
ROBERT J WILSON LOOKS AT THE IMPACT OF NEW BOSS ARNE SLOT AT LIVERPOOL AND THE CHALLENGES THAT LIE AHEAD
