THREE OF A KIND

TOM GREEN LOOKS BACK AT A TRIO WHO FAILED TO SET TOP-FLIGHT ALIGHT...

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.