Sergio Canales     20     Winger/Midfielder     Valencia

If ever there was an example of a player moving to a big club too early in his career then Sergio Canales is a case in point. 

Snapped up by Real after only 32 appearances for Racing Santander, Canales was fizzing and really did look a tremendous prospect.  Quick, tricky and adept at flying past opposition full backs, bursting through the middle or delivering the most sumptuous of set pieces, the winger was considered Spain’s most exciting young player in a particularly competitive field.

However Canales never seemed to attract anything more than a fleeting glance from Jose Mourinho in his first 18 months at the Santiago Bernabeu and a two year loan with an option to buy at Valencia was arranged this summer.

A reasonable start for Valencia was shattered last month with Canales tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during a match against Athletic Bilbao.  Six months on the sidelines awaits, recovering from a particularly dreadful injury for this type of player.

Whether the final product ever justifies the original hype and if the stigma of not making it at Real can be overcome Canales still has time to become a star, but you’ve got to wonder what the last year and a half have done to his head.

"After bursting onto the scene at Racing Santander, it wasn't long before bigger clubs came calling. One of those was the biggest of them all, Real Madrid, and Canales made the move to the capital. Unfortunately for him, Jose Mourinho arrived soon after and the young attacker has seen very little game time. As he showed at the Under 20 World Cup, he is a player of undoubted potential. Canales simply made the wrong move at the wrong time but a loan move to Valencia could work out very well for both parties. His ambition must be to prove himself and win a move back to his parent club." – Jamie McGregor (spanishfootball.info)

D       It’s not your fault, it’s not your fault, it’s not your fault…..