What are some players with extraordinary careers? Paulinho started

VARDEH

Hulk was in some jap club before Porto bought him.

Lars Leese never made it to the elite but it's still an interesting story. He had given up becoming a profesdional player at the age of 16 but somehow managed to get a contract at Leverkusen in his early 20s. Then he went to Burnley and even started a couple of Premier League matches before becoming sick and losing his spot. Afterwards he couldn't find a new club and went back to his old job. He basically had a three year football interlude in an otherwise regular life. Ronald Reng wrote a great book about him

>>77637265
Just looked it up and I made two mistakes. It was Barnsley not Burnley and he was already 26 when he got the job at Leverkusen

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Luka Modric. He didn't start at Zrinjski but it's amazing that one of the best midfielders of today played in Bosnian league.

>>77637248
>>77637265

On a similar note Jonas, who plays for Benfica now, started his pro career at 20 years old after deciding to drop college where he was going for a pharmacy degree.

His first taste of international fame was being called the worst forward in the world after this play:
https://youtube.com/watch?v=SAGKcC0Xs3I

Then he had a great season the following year, moved to Valencia and now is the highest paid player in Benfica's history.

>>77637456
According to wiki he did debut as a pro on Zrinjski.

>>77637456
>one of the best midfielders of today

When will this meme cease?

>>77637558
>His first taste of international fame was being called the worst forward in the world
Damn, had no idea about this, makes me respect him a whole lot more that he's kept going after that.

>>77638291
who's supposed to be better?
fucking Kante? jej

>>77638291
When he stops being one,I assume.

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>>77638314
it was this spanish newspaper that started it, I think

overall he actually did ok that year, but the following year he was the top scorer in the brasileirão with 23 goals, 5 more than the second place, neymar batman loko jr.

>>77638291
>he doesn't rate Modric
he absolutely dominated every game I watched him, playing either for Madrid or Croatia. And unlike Kroos, he doesn't pass sideways and back, and still rarely misplaces it

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Eero Markkanen played in Finnish third tier for fun when he was 20. Was 21 when he played in the Finnish league for the first time, two years later moved to Real Madrid for over two millions.

>>77638314
yep 113 games and 87 goals (0.77 goals/game) for Benfica

>>77638815
catalan

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>>77637558
>>77638314
>>77639073
Come back to brazil Jonas

>>77637456
fun fact, i watched him in mostar 4-5 times, and you know shits are not given in PREMIJER liga, brutal starts and throwing beer bottles at refs for whistling against a home team, he even admits that playing for zrinja that one season made him a man, it made him tough, it showed him the other side of being a football player, it made him work his ass off in the gym and on trainings.

>>77637030
Paulinho will always be a god amongst men

https://youtu.be/waGr0GqxDu0

Matic. He started in the 2nd Serbian division, where Jan Kozak (then-coach of Kosice and current Slovak NT coach) found him. He got good and 2 seasons later he was bought by Chelsea.

>>77638291
Modric is Real Madrid's best player

Thomas Meunier was a forward for fucking Virton in third division in Belgium

Now he is right back of PSG and Madrid is interested in him to rotate with carvajal