Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Samuel Meade

Jose Mourinho's first snub, Arsenal's 7-loan man and forgotten stars at the 2022 World Cup

Premier League stars will flock to the World Cup with England's top flight providing more players than any other league around the globe.

Over 100 players who ply their trade in England on a weekly basis will head to Qatar with differing chances of glory. Spain, Germany, Brazil and Argentina have all called on players from the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United.

But some nations have turned to individuals who previously played in the Premier League, yet didn't make the mark they perhaps wanted to. Certain individuals endured short lived spells having failed to establish themselves, others had promising futures but never got the chance to impress and some faced the nightmare of relegation.

The World Cup in Qatar will provide them all with an opportunity to showcase their worth on the global stage however with some names resonating with the minority, but may be out of sight, out of mind for the many now that they've left English soil.

We take a look at those players you may have forgotten.

Guillermo Varela

The Uruguayan right-back has the unfortunate tag of being the first man ushered out of Old Trafford by Jose Mourinho, albeit on loan. Varela was deemed surplus to requirements by the Special One during his first year in Manchester having made 11 appearances in all competitions under Louis van Gaal the previous year.

Varela had found the Dutchman a "difficult" man to work with and moved to Frankfurt on loan shortly after his sacking. He wouldn't get the chance to impress Mourinho and was sold to Penarol in the Special One's second summer. Varela would return to Europe to play for Copenhagen and then Dinamo Moscow, who remain his parent club.

Edimilson Fernandes

A name that may not be lost on those in east London, having made over 50 appearances for West Ham after joining them in 2016 from Sion for £5m. Fernandes made 30 league appearances in his first year, ten of them as a starter, before his involvement dropped off in his second year.

Fernandes, who will be playing for Switzerland, scored his only goal for the Hammers in a League Cup win over London rivals Chelsea. In 2018 he would leave to join Fiorentina on loan and then secured a permanent move to German side Mainz.

Andrej Kramarić

The Croatian began the 2015/16 season at Leicester City, just as the Foxes were embarking on one of the most legendary campaigns in English football. Kramarić would only make two appearances in the league, both of those as a sub. His only goal that year came against Bury in the League Cup.

His lack of league starts meant he wasn't awarded a league winners' medal and he was sent out on loan in January to German side Hoffenheim, where he later moved permanently. The forward has been prolific in the Bundesliga, scoring 91 times, and has previously netted for his country against England in the Nations League.

Joel Campbell

He spent seven years on the books at Arsenal but only played 40 times for the Gunners, which was partly down to issues obtaining a work permit in the UK. The nomadic forward would end up going out on loan seven times to teams in France, Spain, Greece and Portugal.

Campbell's most successful spell was arguably with Olympiacos in Greece, where he scored in a famous win over David Moyes' United side in the Champions League. His lack of a permanent home hasn't hampered his international efforts though, picking up over 100 caps and scoring 25 times for Costa Rica.

Joel Campbell failed to make the grade at Arsenal (GETTY)

Abdelhamid Sabiri

The 25-year-old midfielder was a rarely used member of the Huddersfield side who were relegated back in 2019. He joined the Terriers upon their promotion to the Premier League from Nurnberg, but only played a bit part role as they secured survival. The Moroccan moved to Paderborn in the Bundesliga after their relegation.

He has since moved to Serie A and played for Ascoli and now Sampdoria. Sabiri, who previously played for Germany's U21s, has only won two caps for his country but found the net in a friendly win over Chile earlier this year.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.