Top Ten Strange Career Moves

[notsosilentbob]

1. Frank McAvennie: Celtic to West Ham (1989):
McAvennie had been a revelation during his first spell at Upton Park, scoring 26 goals in 1985/86 as The Hammers ended up third in the league, their best ever finish. A year later he joined Celtic and won a league and cup double (netting twice in the Cup Final), but decided on a return to London during the 1988/89 season. George Graham wanted him at Arsenal, but perhaps put off by his friend Charlie Nicholas' experience with the Gunners boss, he opted for a return to the East End. Arsenal won the league that year, West Ham were relegated.

2. Craig Short: Notts County to Derby (1992):
Short's performances for Notts County had led him to be recognised as one of the most promising defenders in the country by 1992 as illustrated by the record (for a defender) transfer fee of £2.5 million he commanded. Blackburn manager Kenny Dalglish was keen to have him as one of his summer signings, along with Alan Shearer (who he bought for less than a million more), but Short instead chose to join Derby County. Three years later, Blackburn were champions and The Rams were still in the first division. After joining Everton in 1995, Short went on to play a decade in the Premiership, including six years at Ewood Park.

3. Massimo Maccarone: Empoli to Middlesbrough (2002):
Maccarone was the young star of Italian football in 2002. After destroying England in an Under-21 match he became the first Serie B in twenty years to be capped by the national side and narrowly missed out on a berth for the World Cup in Japan and Korea. Rather than move to one of the Serie A's elite, Maccarone opted for a move to Teesside for a forgettable spell, at least until his goals as substitute sent Boro to the Uefa Cup Final in 2006.

4. Edwin van der Sar: Juventus, to Fulham (2001):
Van der Sar became the first ever foreign goalkeeper to play for Juventus in 1999 but some uncharacteristic errors in his second year there led to the Old Lady signing Gianluigi Buffon for a record fee. He then went to Fulham for £7 million and though he retained the Dutch number one jersey while at The Cottagers, his performances for Manchester United since joining them in 2005 suggest he might have played for a better side in the intervening years.

5. Gary McAllister: Leeds to Coventry (1996):
Like van der Sar, McAllister produced some incredible displays in his mid-30s that made one question why he wasn't playing for an elite side in previous seasons. McAllister had been the creative force behind Leeds' title win in 1991/92 and continued to serve them well before leaving for Coventry to play for former team-mate Gordon Strachan in 1996 at the age of 32. Despite suffering from injuries during his time at Highfield Road he was a key figure as the Sky Blues retained their Premiership status each year until his departure. His virtuoso displays as Liverpool won three cups in the 2000/01 season, led Gerard Houllier to describe him as his "most inspirational signing".

6. Lucas Neill: Blackburn Rovers to West Ham (2007):
The reported double wages that were offered at West Ham may have had something to do with it, but swapping a relegation struggle for a place in the last 16 of the Champions League does seem bizarre. Maybe he is right that Eggert Magnusson's investment will mean West Ham are battling for a top four place soon. Maybe...

7. Sergei Rebrov: Dynamo Kiev to Tottenham (2000):
At 26, Rebrov had already showed himself to be capable of playing at the highest level and at times overshadowed his strike partner Andrei Shevchenko - who by this stage had gone on to impress in his first season with Milan. The same was expected from Rebrov but joining a Tottenham side lacking the flair of previous years, was a move he would come to regret and his career would never hit the forecasted heights.

8. Lee Sharpe Manchester United to Leeds (1996):
With his place in the United side no longer secure, it was no surprise that Sharpe left Old Trafford in 1996 but switching to a demoralised Leeds side was not a wise move. To emphasise the point, confidence was so low that manager Howard Wilkinson was dismissed a month after the start of the next campaign. George Graham replaced him and this, combined with niggling injuries, soon spelled the end of Sharpe's career at Elland Road.

9. Nathan Ellington: Wigan to West Brom (2005):
This one may seem worse with hindsight, but having led Wigan to promotion forming a deadly partnership with Jason Roberts it seemed a strange move to join West Bromwich Albion, who barely retained their Premier League status the previous season. Albion were relegated the following season as Wigan finished in the top half of the season and he has been looking for a move back to the JJB Stadium ever since.

And one from another sport:
10. Michael Jordan Chicago Bulls to Chicago White Sox (1993):
A year after his retirement after leading the Bulls to their third consecutive NBA title in 1993, Jordan surprised everyone by announcing his intentions to make it in professional baseball. However after an unsuccessful year-and-a-half at minor league outfits the Birmingham Barons and Scottsdale Scorpions he returned to the Bulls in 1995 and would go on to win three more titles.

[source - sky sports]

[jasonharding]

wasn't there a football player alst year retiering from football to be a professional boxer

sorry cant remember any names.