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One-season wonders have captured the imagination of football fans for decades and over the years, the Premier League has seen its share of players burst onto the scene before disappearing just as quickly.
Despite the derogatory connotations around the term, one-season wonders have provided moments of romance in an era of cynicism. Their single standout campaigns, which are often fuelled by momentum, confidence or circumstance, are unforgettable and remind us just how unpredictable and magical the game can be.
The Premier League one-season wonders are a special breed, players whose short-lived brilliance shone exceptionally bright, but burnt out just as spectacularly. Their legacies have endured, however, and below, we’ve explored some of their remarkable stories.
Michu (Swansea City, 2012–13)
Silky Spaniard Michu is often referenced as the quintessential Premier League one-season wonder. Signed for a bargain £2m from Rayo Vallecano in the summer of 2012, Michu delivered a sensational debut campaign for Swansea City.
The forward set the trend by notching twice on his debut against QPR and he couldn’t stop scoring thereafter, eventually finishing his maiden season with 18 Premier League goals.
Michu cemented his legendary status at Swansea with a goal in the Swans’ League Cup Final triumph over Brentford to help the club win the trophy for the first time in their history.
Injuries impacted his second year in Wales however, and Michu never recaptured his stunning first-season form. The Spanish star faded from prominence and exited to join Napoli in 2014.
Papiss Cissé (Newcastle United, 2011–12)
Perhaps more of a half-season wonder, Senegalese striker Papiss Cissé joined Newcastle from Freiburg in the winter transfer window in January 2012 and subsequently tore Premier League defences to pieces.
Cisse buried an incredible 13 goals in 14 Premier League appearances at the back end of the 2011/12 campaign and several of those strikes were explosive, show-stopping efforts.
Indeed, Cissé’s wicked, swerving goal from distance against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, which won the BBC’s Goal of the Season award, is still considered one of the best goals ever scored in the Premier League.
However, as good as Cissé was in his first few months, the centre forward’s stock fell relatively quickly. He was still effective in bursts, but never hit the same levels and Cissé left Newcastle as a peripheral figure in 2016.
Roque Santa Cruz (Blackburn Rovers, 2007–08)
When Blackburn Rovers secured a deal to sign 6’4” Paraguayan frontman Roque Santa Cruz from Bayern Munich in the summer of 2007, it was considered a bit of a coup and the talented young forward lived up to his reputation in his first year of Premier League football.
Santa Cruz hit 19 goals for Rovers and his impact earned him the club’s Player of the Season award, however, disappointingly, the striker proved to be yet another flash in the pan and he couldn’t sustain his output.
Santa Cruz managed to bag only four league goals the following season and in 2009, the South American was packing his bags for Manchester City.
Amr Zaki (Wigan Athletic, 2008–09)
Wigan fans still recall Amir Zaki’s time with the Latics with genuine fondness. The Egyptian arrived for a season-long loan at Athletic in 2008 and helped to turn Wigan, who were named as relegation candidates on Premier League betting sites, into a solid mid-table outfit.
The Egyptian international had an eye for the spectacular and his ferocious volley against Liverpool at Anfield is still well remembered.
Zaki scored ten Premier League goals by mid-season in 2008/09, though his last few months with Wigan were marred by disciplinary issues and a souring of his relationship with manager Steve Bruce cut his time with the club short.
Marcus Stewart (Ipswich Town, 2000–01)
At the turn of the Millennium, Marcus Stewart was a player in demand. The lethal finisher had fired Ipswich to Premier League promotion and had been tipped to break into the English national team setup.
Stewart took to life in the Premier League with typical aplomb and scored a brilliant 19 goals for George Burley’s impressive Tractor Boys side, who eventually secured a 5th-place finish.
However, the 2000/01 season would be the pinnacle of Stewart’s career. He lost his golden touch, scoring only six times and left Ipswich after Town were relegated in 2002.
The poacher bounced around between clubs in England’s lower leagues after that, eventually retiring in 2011 following a stint with Exeter City.
Michael Ricketts (Bolton Wanderers, 2001–02)
Michael Ricketts was a confident man ahead of promoted Bolton’s Premier League return in 2001 having scored 24 times for Wanderers the previous year and the pacey attacker immediately looked the part in England’s top flight.
Ricketts scored 13 goals in the league over the course of the 2001/02 campaign and moved into the England national team picture as a result. However, Ricketts peaked that term and his form regressed alarmingly quickly shortly after.
By 2004, he was back in the Championship with Leeds and he had turned out for another eight different clubs before he decided to hang up his boots in 2010.
Asamoah Gyan (Sunderland, 2010–11)
Ghanaian superstar Asamoah Gyan arrived in England with plenty of pedigree when he became Sunderland’s record signing in 2010. The skilful attacker formed a devastating attacking trident alongside Darren Bent and Danny Welbeck during his first year with the Black Cats, finishing with ten goals and five assists.
Asamoah’s commitment didn’t seem absolute at the start of the new 2011/12 campaign, however. It was as though his head had been turned and sure enough, he completed a move to Al Ain in the UAE Pro League in September ‘11.
Benjani (Portsmouth, 2007–08)
Portsmouth were once a Premier League staple under Harry Redknapp and the wily operator’s nose for a transfer bargain unearthed another unpolished gem in enigmatic attacker Benjani.
The Zimbabwe international showed flashes of early prominence but then shot to prominence in the 2007/08 campaign with 12 goals in 24 Premier League appearances, marking his strikes with his signature celebration.
In the summer of 2008, big-spending Man City rolled the dice on Benjani and offered him a lofty salary to trade the south coast for Manchester.
Benjani never lived up to his billing however, and scored just seven times over two and a half seasons with City before being farmed out on loan.
