Players You Forgot Played For These Clubs

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JJ Okocha - Hull City

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After becoming a cult hero during spells with Bolton Wanderers and Paris Saint-Germain, JJ Okocha's career ended in a rather unexpected place. The Nigerian icon joined Hull City in 2007 following his departure from Qatar SC, but his time with the Tigers was short-lived. He made just 18 appearances as Hull secured promotion to the Premier League before leaving the club, bringing an end to one of football's most entertaining careers.

Shkodran Mustafi - Everton

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Before becoming one of Arsenal's most recognisable defenders of the late 2010s, Shkodran Mustafi actually began his English career at Everton. The German joined the club's academy from Hamburg as a teenager and eventually made one senior appearance. With first-team opportunities limited, Mustafi moved to Sampdoria in 2012, where he rebuilt his career before eventually winning the World Cup with Germany.

Samuel Eto'o - Everton

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Samuel Eto'o had already won almost everything in football by the time he arrived at Everton in 2014. Following a single season at Chelsea, the Cameroonian striker signed for Roberto Martínez's side and immediately made an impact, scoring nine goals in 20 appearances. However, his spell lasted only half a season before he joined Sampdoria, making his time at Goodison Park an easy chapter of his incredible career to forget.

Trent Sainsbury

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Australian defender Trent Sainsbury has had one of the more unusual career paths in Australian football, with spells across Europe, Asia and Australia. He has played for clubs including PEC Zwolle, Jiangsu Suning, Inter Milan and PSV Eindhoven, with his short stint at Inter particularly easy to overlook. Despite being a key player for the Socceroos, his club career has taken him to some surprising destinations.

Peter Gulasci — Liverpool

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Before becoming one of the Bundesliga's best goalkeepers with RB Leipzig, Peter Gulacsi spent several years at Liverpool. The Hungarian joined the Reds from MTK Budapest as a teenager but struggled to break into the first team, with Pepe Reina firmly established as the club's number one. Gulacsi made no Premier League appearances for Liverpool before eventually moving to RB Salzburg and later establishing himself as one of Europe's most reliable goalkeepers.

Emile Smith Rowe

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Emile Smith Rowe is strongly associated with Arsenal, but parts of his career away from the Emirates can easily be forgotten. The midfielder had loan spells with RB Leipzig and Huddersfield Town before eventually breaking through in Arsenal's first team. His time in Germany was particularly difficult due to injury problems, but the experiences away from North London helped shape the player who later became a fan favourite.

Kevin Keegan - Blacktown City

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One of the most bizarre stories on this list involves Liverpool and England legend Kevin Keegan. Following his playing retirement, Keegan briefly became involved with Australian football and had an association with Blacktown City. The idea of one of England's greatest-ever players being linked to a suburban Sydney club is enough to make this one of the most obscure football connections around.

Alessandro Del Piero - Sydney FC

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After spending almost two decades with Juventus, Alessandro Del Piero shocked many football fans when he chose Sydney FC as his next destination in 2012. The Italian legend became one of the biggest signings in A-League history and instantly transformed the profile of the competition around the world. Del Piero spent two seasons with Sydney FC, scoring memorable goals and becoming one of the league's greatest-ever marquee players.

Ashley Cole - AS Roma

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Ashley Cole spent the majority of his career competing at the very highest level with Arsenal and Chelsea, but his final years in Europe took him to Roma. The Englishman joined the Italian club in 2014 after his Chelsea contract expired, although his spell in Serie A failed to live up to expectations. Cole made just 16 league appearances across 18 months before leaving, making his time in Rome one of the forgotten chapters of his legendary career.

Louie Barry - Barcelona

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Before making his name in English football, Louie Barry was once one of the most highly rated young English players at Barcelona's famous La Masia academy. The teenager left West Bromwich Albion to join Barcelona in 2019 before returning to England with Aston Villa just months later. He never made a senior appearance for Barcelona, but the fact an English teenager played in their academy remains a fascinating part of his career.

Kevin-Prince Boateng - Barcelona

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Kevin-Prince Boateng's loan move to Barcelona in January 2019 remains one of the most unexpected transfers in recent memory. At the time, Boateng was playing for Sassuolo and was primarily known as a midfielder, making Barcelona's decision to bring him in as cover for Luis Suarez particularly surprising. He made only four appearances for the Catalan giants before returning to Italy, ensuring his time at Barcelona quickly became a forgotten footnote.

Fabinho - Real Madrid

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Long before becoming one of Liverpool's most important midfielders, Fabinho actually belonged to Real Madrid. The Brazilian joined Castilla on loan from Rio Ave before making one senior appearance for the Spanish giants. Despite scoring on his debut, Fabinho struggled to establish himself at the Bernabéu and eventually moved on, finding his feet at Monaco before developing into one of Europe's best defensive midfielders.

Mat Ryan - Arsenal

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Mat Ryan had already established himself in the Premier League with Brighton when he made a surprise loan move to Arsenal in January 2021. Brought in as competition for Bernd Leno, the Australian goalkeeper made a handful of appearances and became the first-choice keeper towards the end of the season. His spell lasted just six months before he moved on, making it easy to forget that Ryan once represented one of England's biggest clubs.

Florent Malouda — Delhi Dynamos

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After winning major trophies with Chelsea and representing France at two World Cups, Florent Malouda ended up playing in the Indian Super League with Delhi Dynamos. The Frenchman joined the club in 2015 and spent a season playing in India before continuing his career elsewhere. It was a remarkably unexpected destination for a player who had only recently been competing at the highest level of European football.

Steve Sidwell — Chelsea

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Steve Sidwell became one of the Championship's standout midfielders during Reading's rise to the Premier League, earning himself a move to Chelsea in 2007. However, breaking into a midfield containing players such as Frank Lampard, Michael Ballack and Claude Makelele proved almost impossible. Sidwell made just 15 league appearances before leaving for Aston Villa a year later.

Frank Lampard - Manchester City

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Frank Lampard's Manchester City spell is one of the strangest chapters in modern Premier League history. After leaving Chelsea for New York City FC, Lampard joined Manchester City on loan and quickly became an important player. His spell became particularly controversial when he scored against Chelsea, before eventually spending the entire 2014/15 season with City and scoring eight Premier League goals.

Lukas Podolski — Inter Milan

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Lukas Podolski's time at Inter Milan was incredibly brief and largely forgettable. The German World Cup winner joined Inter on loan from Arsenal in January 2015 but struggled to make an impact in Serie A. He scored just one goal in 18 appearances before returning to England at the end of the season.

Seydou Doumbia — Newcastle

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Seydou Doumbia arrived at Newcastle United in 2016 with a reputation as one of European football's most prolific goalscorers. The Ivorian had scored freely for CSKA Moscow but struggled badly during his loan spell in England. He made only three Premier League appearances and failed to score before returning to Roma, making his Newcastle career little more than a forgotten footnote.

Iago Aspas — Liverpool

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Before becoming a Celta Vigo legend and one of La Liga's most prolific forwards, Iago Aspas endured a difficult spell at Liverpool. The Spanish forward joined the Reds in 2013 but scored just one Premier League goal and struggled to establish himself in Brendan Rodgers' side. He returned to Celta after only one season and transformed into one of Spanish football's most consistent goalscorers.

Rivaldo - Kabuscorp

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Rivaldo's career took him to some of football's biggest clubs, including Barcelona, AC Milan and Olympiacos, but one of his most obscure stops came in Angola. The Brazilian World Cup winner and former Ballon d'Or recipient joined Kabuscorp in 2012, spending two seasons playing in the country's top division. It remains one of the most unexpected destinations of any footballing superstar's career.

Edgar Davids — Barnet

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Edgar Davids played for some of Europe's biggest clubs, including Ajax, AC Milan, Juventus, Barcelona and Inter Milan, which makes his move to Barnet all the more remarkable. The Dutch legend joined the League Two club in 2012 as both a player and coach, eventually becoming joint head coach. Davids even wore the number one shirt, creating one of the most surreal images in English football history.

George Weah - Manchester City

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Before Manchester City became one of the richest and most successful clubs in world football, they briefly had a former Ballon d'Or winner leading their attack. George Weah joined City on loan from AC Milan in 2000 and made 11 appearances during a short spell. Considering Weah is one of Africa's greatest-ever footballers, his brief time at Maine Road is an incredibly easy career chapter to overlook.

Ruud Gullit — Sampdoria

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Ruud Gullit is most closely associated with AC Milan, Chelsea and the Netherlands, but he also had a memorable spell with Sampdoria. Gullit joined the Italian club in 1993 and played a key role as Sampdoria won the Coppa Italia in his first season. He later returned for another spell, making Sampdoria a surprisingly important part of his long and successful career.