Forgotten Tottenham wonderkid who outscored Harry Kane now slugging it out in Sunday League after snubbing pro contract
REO GRIFFITHS now plays for a Sunday League club just six years after rejecting a professional contract at Tottenham.
The 23-year-old was tipped to be a star of the future after impressing in youth-team football.
Griffiths scored 33 goals in a season for Spurs‘ Under-18 side, including four against bitter rivals Arsenal.
His tally was almost twice as many as Harry Kane managed at the same level.
It led to the Premier League club offering him a professional deal – but he snubbed the contract.
Several European giants were interested with Barcelona, Real Madrid, PSG and RB Leipzig all wanting to snap up the wonderkid.
But Griffiths eventually ended up signing for Lyon in 2018.
The forgotten prodigy born in North London never made a senior appearance for the club but netted 13 goals in 34 games for their second team in the French equivalent of League Two.
In 2022, Griffiths returned to England as he agreed to join Doncaster.
But he scored just two goals in 21 matches and his contract was mutually terminated two months ago.
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The ex-England Under-17 forward is now playing for Critics FC to maintain fitness as he hopes to find a pro club soon.
He has scored four goals in three games in the Essex Corinthian League.
The division describe themselves as a “local Sunday morning football league covering the boroughs of Havering, Epping Forest, Barking, Dagenham, Newham, Redbridge, Harlow and Waltham Forest.”
Five other players who failed to live up the hype
1. Micheal Johnson
He was one of England’s brightest young talents when he made his debut for Manchester City in 2006.
However, injuries and mental health issues led to him retiring aged only 24.
Johnson, 35, has since received treatment at mental health care facility The Priory and become an estate agent.
2. Ravel Morrison
Sir Alex Ferguson once called Morrison, 30, the best young talent he had ever seen and Sam Allardyce called him the “biggest waste of talent”.
But it didn’t work out at Man Utd before showing his potential in a brief spell at West Ham.
However, he failed to perform consistently and has played in Mexico, Sweden and the US since.
3. Nick Powell
Powell, 29, was signed by United for £6m in 2012 after impressing at Crewe.
But the attacking midfielder never lived up to the potential and now plays in League Two with Stockport.
4. Gael Kakuta
The signing of the prodigy in 2007 led to Chelsea being handed a transfer ban and the player fined in an alleged tapping up scandal, although the punishments were dropped on appeal.
Kakuta, 32, went on to play 16 times for the club but failed to impress.
He has since had a journeyman career, playing for 12 clubs.
5. Freddy Adu
Adu, 34, was dubbed the “next Pele” aged 14 after he was signed by DC United in the MLS Draft.
He struggled to deal with the pressure and ended up playing in Serbia, Finland and Sweden.