Carlos Vela never fulfilled his potential and he only has himself to blame.
By virtue of the sheer number of young players attempting to forage a career in football, there will be the inevitable few who make it, those that won’t, and those that should have.
And Carlos Vela falls distinctly into the latter category. A player who’s natural skill and class has been frequently undermined by nothing other than his own disinterested attitude.
Eight years ago today, Arsenal’s uber-talented pick of twinkle-toed youngsters ran Wigan ragged in the Carling Cup with Jack Wilshere pulling the strings and Jay Simpson leading the line. But the night belonged to Vela. His breath-taking lob over Chris Kirkland merely underlined what Arsene Wenger had known for years – this boy was special.
Yet, flash forward to the present day, and the Mexican is now 27, an age where he should be at his peak. He should be standing alongside Gonzalo Higuain and Karim Benzema in the pantheon of the world’s great strikers. Instead, he’s at Real Sociedad, a mid-table La Liga outfit formerly managed by David Moyes. He scored a respectable 12, 14 and 16 in his first three years in Spain, before dropping to nine and five.
His international career looks over after a series of clashes with the local FA and, in March this year, he faked illness in order to miss training and attend a Chris Brown concert. Yet, for all his troubles, Arsenal fans would still give him a second chance.
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