Peterborough United are currently 10th in League One, but where could they be if they’d hung on to a few more of these former star men?
Dwight Gayle and George Boyd celebrate at Peterborough
Peterborough have developed something of a reputation as a selling club. Back in January 2016 it was reported that the sales of just eight of their star players in recent years had resulted in over £21 million in profit. That is an astronomical figure for a League One team, but might the Posh have been better off hanging on to some of their prized assets and becoming more competitive?
Whilst the club has sold quality players from 1 to 11 across the park, there is no doubt that the forward areas are where their recruitment has been the strongest. Craig Mackail-Smith, Dwight Gayle, Conor Washington, Aaron McLean and Britt Assombalonga are just some of the strikers to have joined the club, impressed, and left for big money.
Our starting XI of what the Posh team could look like now if they’d kept their best players includes 10 departed stars and one current player. Eight are currently playing in the Championship, one is playing in the Premier League and another is playing in the SPL.
Lee Tomlin celebrating during his time at Peterborough United
Goalkeeper: Joe Lewis
Not the strongest area of this XI by any means, but Joe Lewis is a solid goalkeeper who was capped by England at five different youth levels. Currently Aberdeen’s number 1, the 6′ 5″ shot stopper spent four years at London Road, making 190 appearances before moving on to Cardiff City.
Right-Back: Mark Little
Pacy full-back Mark Little always provided a great outlet bombing forward on the right side of the pitch at Peterborough. After four years at the club, during which time Little was instrumental in the Posh’s League One promotion and two Football League Trophy’s, he turned down Peterborough’s contract offer and left for Bristol City on a free transfer.
Centre-Back: Russell Martin
Russell Martin spent only one full season at Peterborough, although he played every single match that season and was club captain as the Posh won promotion to the Championship. Norwich City was his next destination, and the Scotland international has been with the Canaries ever since, racking up more than 250 appearances.
Centre-Back: Ryan Bennett
In an all-Norwich central defensive partnership, Ryan Bennett partners Russell Martin. Former England under-21 international Bennett was an excellent signing for Peterborough, costing roughly £500,000 from Grimsby and leaving 2 and a half years later to Norwich for £3.2 million.
Left-Back: Marcus Maddison
Current Peterborough star Marcus Maddison
The only current Peterborough player to make this XI, Marcus Maddison is most commonly deployed as a winger or attacking midfielder, but the versatile former Newcastle trainee has played everywhere from up front to left-back, and it is the latter that we have gone with.
The Posh have never been an overly cautious team, relying on outscoring the opposition is often the style of play they have been renowned for, and Maddison at left-back would epitomise that. The 23-year-old joined Peterborough from Gateshead in 2014 for an initial fee of £250,000.
Defensive Midfield: Toumani Diagouraga
Out-of-favour Leeds United midfielder Toumani Diagouraga spent only half a season at Peterborough. Posh bought Diagouraga from Hereford United for £85,000 and sold him to Brentford for more than £500,000 less than 12 months later. Diagouraga was brilliant at Brentford, earning a move to Leeds United in January 2016.
Attacking Midfield: George Boyd
Voted Peterborough’s greatest ever player by a landslide back in 2013, George Boyd was sensational at London Road, making 297 appearances and scoring 75 goals in 6 years at the club. Tireless and talented, Boyd won 3 promotions at Peterborough, as well as being named in the PFA Team of the Year twice.
He left for Hull City in 2013, where he won promotion, reached an FA Cup final and played in Europe, before being sold to his current club, Burnley.
Attacking Midfield: Lee Tomlin
Stocky, fiery and deadly in front of goal, Lee Tomlin scored 43 goals in 156 games for Peterborough, having joined the club from Rushden & Diamonds. He eventually left for Middlesbrough, where he earned himself a shot at Premier League football with Bournemouth, but having failed to break into the first team, he was signed by Championship high-flyers Bristol City.
Centre-Forward: Britt Assombalonga
Nottingham Forest’s Britt Assombalonga celebrates at full time
Naturally with a Posh ‘what-if’ XI, we have gone for three up top, and it was hard enough whittling it down to just the three. Britt Assombalonga is the first of our prolific attacking trio, the 23-year-old was brought to London Road from Watford, and scored 23 goals in 43 games for the club, before a £5 million (which could rise to £8 million) move to Nottingham Forest.
His two years at the City Ground have been plagued by injuries, but he has still managed 19 goals in 36 games, and is one of the most highly-rated forwards in the Championship.
Centre-Forward: Dwight Gayle
The Championship’s top scorer, on current form, Dwight Gayle is probably the standout player in this XI. His time at Peterborough was brief, scoring 7 goals in 9 games on-loan and 6 goals in 20 games once signed on a permanent before making a £4 million profit on the former Dagenham man.
Crystal Palace’s decision to spent such a fee based on so few games was questioned by some, but they sold Gayle to Newcastle for a whopping £10 million in the summer, and with 11 goals in 12 games for the Magpies so far, he’s already justifying that fee too.
Centre-Forward: Conor Washington
The least prolific of the three, Conor Washington has struggled since his £3 million move to QPR in January 2016. He was still an excellent signing for Peterborough though, brought in from Newport County, he scored 27 goals in 82 games for the Posh, becoming a Northern Ireland international.
Which departed Peterborough star do you miss the most?
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