The Most Out Of Their Depth Sportsmen Ever

The Most Out Of Their Depth Sportsmen Ever

Watching poor old Xavier Doherty in the Ashes series this winter has reminded me that sometimes, it's not the player's fault he isn't performing - it's the selectors' fault. Here is a guy who has never, ever been in form, and has an average of 50 runs per wicket over his career, which has hardly ever blossomed. All of a sudden, he found himself propelled into the Australian team against a resurgent England, and he looked bemused, like a club cricketer who has wandered onto the wrong cricket ground.So here is my top 5 worst sportsmen ever - those who have been thrust into the limelight despite a clear lack of ability, and have, in the process, earned our affection.5 - Ali Dia, Southampton FCNobody is quite sure how Ali Dia found himself on the pitch for Southampton other than Graeme Souness, his manager at the time. After ten minutes running around like a headless chicken, Souness realised that he had been "had". Earlier that week, the man many consider to have been the worst manager in Premiership history, received a phone call from a man pretending to be George Weah, legendary Paris Saint German footballer. He told Graeme Souness that his cousin, Ali Dia, was a top footballer and should be playing for Southampton. Without even seeing a video of Dia play, and without having even seen him in training, Souness put Dia on the bench and promptly brought him on in the second half. What happened next was less embarrassing for Dia than it was for Souness - perhaps the most awful footballer to have ever graced the stage of the Premier League was then substituted himself, never to be seen again. Red-faced, Souness retreated, and was soon fired.4 - Clive Eksteen, South AfricaSouth Africans do not look back fondly on Clive Eksteen's performance on the last two days in Johannesburg, bowling 65 overs to Michael Atherton and Jack Russell, without taking a single wicket or even turning the ball - the bare minimum requirement for a spinner on the last days of a cracked test pitch.A relative success in local cricket, Eksteen never made it as a Test player, and was then dropped.3 - Claus Lundekvam, Southampton (again)Claus Lundekvam was one of those early-era Premiership players who should really have remained in the pre-Premiership era. One-paced, heavy-footed and not even described as a 'game tryer', he was carried off on a stretcher at Filbert Street, Leicester. Southampton manager at the time, Gordon Strachan, was asked by a reporter if Lundekvam was unconscious. He answered "I've no idea - he's always like that."Damning!2 - Jason Lee, Nottingham Forest FCPoor Jason Lee. Propelled into first-team action in the Premier League, Jason Lee stuck out like a sore thumb. This was not only because of his pineapple-esque hairdo, but due to his first touch, which very often saw the ball going out for a throw or a goal kick. To his credit, Lee scored the odd goal here and there, but what stuck out more than anything was the fact that Lee was no better than a fourth division footballer playing in the wrong league. He fell down the leagues quickly, and is remembered for the Fantasy Football League song 'he's got a pineapple on his head', which was sung up and down terraces around the country.1 - Eddie the Eagle, ski-jumperEddie "The Eagle" Edwards qualified for the Winter Olympics almost by default, and quickly endeared himself to the wider public by dint of being last. All the time. To be frank, he was an awful ski jumper, but had only just switched to ski jumping because he was running out of cash, and it was easier to qualify for the ski jump competition.In the 1988 Winter Olympics, Edwards came last in both 70m and 90m ski jumps, and his Mr Magoo-style glasses lent him the appearance of a joke. Revered for 'trying really hard' by the public, Edwards was equally reviled by the ski-jumping community for debasing the sport. A rule was subsequently created to stop the likes of Eddie the Eagle competing in ski jumping events in the future, which is a shame.

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