Most talented players never to play in the 'top flight'?

[schafer]

Kind of an odd topic, I know. But I just thought it would be interesting to hear about any tremendously talented players that could have made it at the highest level but for whatever reason (loyalty, lack of professionalism) played their entire careers in the lower divisions.

[nach0king]

Did Steve Bull ever play top-flight in England? He was apparently a good English centre-forward who was for years at perennial "underachievers" Wolves.

[Excape Goat]

Tab Ramos never played in the top flight while in Europe.

[deejay]

What do you mean by top flight? In the most technical sense. Pele, Garrincha and score of other Brazilian players never played in a national-level league. Of course, the argument could be made that in those years Sao Paolo and Rio were as good as the top leagues.

[dor02]

I don't think that Pele and Garrincha belong here. The Carioca and Paulista were at a similar standard to a First Division. If Brazil had a national leagu at the time, their clubs would be near the top.

[The Old Lady Hertha]

Kind of an odd topic, I know. But I just thought it would be interesting to hear about any tremendously talented players that could have made it at the highest level but for whatever reason (loyalty, lack of professionalism) played their entire careers in the lower divisions.

Just a question, but wouldn't more professionalism make a player more likely to stay with a team?

[spoonman]

There was a Dutch player a few years ago (I think his name was Folkert Velten) who refused to play on sunday because of his religion.

It wasn't possible to not play on sunday in the Eredivisie so he stayed in the first division but he was not really great.

[hasselbrad]

That guy Robin Something-or-other who played for Reading in the early 1980s. I read that he was just brilliant, but was such a mess because of booze and drugs, that he stayed one level down. He painted his room black so it wouldn't be so scary when he was on acid.
He's dead now.

[glennaldo_sf]

What do you mean by top flight? In the most technical sense. Pele, Garrincha and score of other Brazilian players never played in a national-level league. Of course, the argument could be made that in those years Sao Paolo and Rio were as good as the top leagues.

Didn't Pele play for the New York Cosmos though. ;) :D

[Barcelonabased]

aaron Wilbraham

[lanman]

That guy Robin Something-or-other who played for Reading in the early 1980s. I read that he was just brilliant, but was such a mess because of booze and drugs, that he stayed one level down. He painted his room black so it wouldn't be so scary when he was on acid.
He's dead now.

Robin Friday

http://www.reading-mad.co.uk/news/loadfeat.asp?cid=EDZ2&id=266738

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_Friday

[macaluca]

Robin Friday

http://www.reading-mad.co.uk/news/loadfeat.asp?cid=EDZ2&id=266738

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_Friday

There's a book about him called "The Greatest Player You Never Saw"......like the title says I have never seen him play but from reading the book he really sounded special.