Mario Balotelli finally got off the mark with his first Premier League goal for Liverpool last night…
Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli finally broke his Premier League duck last night, scoring his first league goal for the Reds in his thirteenth top flight for the club, sealing a dramatic 3-2 victory over Tottenham Hotspur.
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It’s been a difficult spell for Balotelli, who has only struck three times in all competitions since his £16m summer move from AC Milan. The player’s teammates and supporters alike will now be hoping that the Italian forward can kick on and find some form.
Of course, there are plenty of talented Premier League players who didn’t hit the ground running, and instead made a slow start to their respective club careers, so Balotelli will now have to hope that he can add his name to the following list.
The ten stars below were all ‘slow starters’, but went on to enjoy superb spells with their respective clubs:
10) Edin Dzeko (Manchester City)
After joining City from Wolfsburg in January 2011, the Bosnian managed just two league goals during the remainder of the 2010-11 season. Thankfully for Roberto Mancini’s side, he hit the ground running the following season, netting 19 times in all competitions.
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9) Stewart Downing (West Ham United)
The England international was much maligned at Upton Park following his move from Liverpool, as the wide-man endured an indifferent first season in East London, scoring just one goal. He’s been much improved this year, netting four times and providing countless assists.
8) Fabian Delph (Aston Villa)
The midfielder joined Villa from Leeds ahead of the 2009-10 season, but struggled to make an immediate impact. He managed just 26 league appearances during his first three seasons at the club, but has since developed into a key player and earned an England call-up.
7) Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal)
The Welshman managed just 11 goals in all competitions during his first five seasons at the club, before finally hitting his stride last season. The midfielder struck 16 times in all competitions, including the winner in the FA Cup final, leading his side to a much-needed success.
6) Jordan Henderson (Liverpool)
Henderson was widely criticised during his early years at Liverpool, when he often looked little more than a passenger in midfielder. However, over the last couple of years his development and improvement has matched that of his team as a whole, and he’s now a key player.
5) Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur)
After seeing their now star striker endure four loan spells away from White Hart Lane, Tottenham fans could have been forgiven for thinking it would never happen for Harry Kane. However, the 21-year-old has responded with an incredible 23 goals and counting so far this season.
4) David de Gea (Manchester United)
The United goalkeeper, who had the difficult task of replacing the iconic Edwin van der Sar at Old Trafford, started his career at the club extremely poorly, and was regularly criticised for his mistakes, especially at crosses. He has since become one of the best keepers in the country.
3) Thierry Henry (Arsenal)
The Frenchman is widely credited with being one of Arsenal’s greatest ever players, but it didn’t start all that well. The £11m signing from Juventus took nine games to open his account for the Gunners, after initially struggling to adapt to a central striking role.
2) Robin van Persie (Arsenal)
His latter years at Arsenal were full of goals, goals that eventually persuaded Manchester United to recruit him ahead of Sir Alex Ferguson’s final season in charge. However, he managed just ten goals in his first 50 league games for the club, the same record as United’s Diego Forlan.
1) Gareth Bale (Tottenham Hotspur)
Bale’s career at Tottenham steadily built towards him becoming the world’s most expensive player. After starting out as an uninspiring left-back, the Welshman’s turning moment came with a superb hat-trick against Inter Milan. He scored 26 times in his final season with the club.