Football’s forgotten men: Bebe, Denilson, Aquilani, Huddlestone, Johnson and more

The return of Bebe to Man United's squad for pre-season has failed to excite fans of the Red Devils - little wonder given his uninspiring start to life at Old Trafford in 2010.

A £7.4m signing for Sir Alex just five weeks after joining Vitoria de Guimaraes for nothing, Bebe spent last season on loan at Besiktas, where injuries restricted him to four appearances.

Here, we take a look at six footballers who, like Bebe, have either fallen by the wayside, escaped to far flung locations or suffered injury hell... it's football's forgotten men!

Michael Johnson - Man City
The 24-year-old's Man City career has disintegrated spectacularly following a succession of abdominal, knee and groin problems. Sadly, Johnson's lifestyle is alleged to have contributed to his dramatic downfall. Since making 23 Premier League appearances for City in 2007/08, he's managed just 11 league outings spread over four seasons, with seven of those at Leicester in the Championship last season. Johnson burst on to the scene as an 18-year-old at City where his eye for a pass and effortless control from central midfield cooked up talk of captaining England one day. In June 2012, he was arrested on suspicion of drink driving when his Mercedes hit another car and smashed into a wall at 4am. Roberto Mancini would love to offload the wayward former England U21 international, but may have to wait until his contract expires in June 2013.

Tom Huddlestone - Spurs
Spurs fans are licking their lips at the return to fitness of a man once compared to Franz Beckenbauer by Martin Jol and to Glenn Hoddle by Harry Redknapp. Frustrating set-backs with ankle and knee injuries have restricted Huddlestone, who's won three England caps, to just nine senior Spurs appearances since November 2010. It remains to be seen if news Spurs boss Andre Villas-Boas will give the 25-year-old a chance to shine at White Hart Lane and whether he can stay injury free for an entire season.

Chu Young Park - Arsenal
When Arsene Wenger splashed out somewhere close to £5m to lure South Korean forward Chu Young Park to the Premier League, back in August 2011, the Frenchman declared: "He will add true quality to our attacking forces and will be a valuable addition to the squad." A full season later and the 27-year-old capture from Monaco has made just one Premier League appearance for the Gunners, three in the League Cup and two in Europe. Wenger worked tirelessly to fend off interest from French champions Lille before landing Park, and with Nicklas Bendtner out on loan, Arsenal fans had hoped their new man would sparkle in his debut season. Six months into the campaign, Park had featured for just seven minutes of Arsenal's Premier League fixtures and, despite Wenger insisting he would prove crucial from January onwards, the striker's opportunities never arrived. South Korea will be banking on him for the Olympics this summer, but Arsenal may yet offload him before then.

Kieron Dyer - QPR
When Dyer signed a one year contract with Premier League new boys QPR in July 2011, the usual internet gags about keeping their physio busy circulated amongst football fans nationwide, who doubted how many games the hapless wide man would manage at Loftus Road. It came as no surprise, then, that Dyer broke down just four minutes into his Super Hoops debut and again on his return to action from injury for the reserves in December 2011. "I have never met a more determined pro in my career, and he really doesn't deserve this," Neil Warnock, QPR's manager at the time, revealed. Somehow, the 33 year-old earned another 12 month contract at QPR in May 2012 and will be keen to play more than five minutes of football this season.

Alberto Aquilani - Liverpool
Italian Aquilani joined Rafael Benitez's Liverpool as a replacement for Xabi Alonso, when the Spanish midfielder departed for Real Madrid in 2009. A chunky £17m fee added to expectations heaped on the playmaker's shoulders, following rave reviews during seven years with his home club, Roma. Unfortunately, it took Aquilani until November 2009 to recover from injury in time to make his Premier League debut, by which time the Reds were already trailing league leaders Chelsea by 11 points. Comparisons to Alonso, meanwhile, proved premature as Aquilani preferred to play further up the field. Loan spells at Juventus in 2010/11 and Milan in 2011/12 cast the Italian aside as Liverpool's forgotten man, although Brendan Rodgers' arrival and the capture of compatriot Fabio Borini appear to have breathed new life into his Anfield career.

Denilson - Arsenal
After spending his youth career with hometown club Sao Paulo, Denilson joined Arsenal in the summer of 2006 shortly after the Gunners had lifted the FA Cup. Arsenal fans need no reminding of Arsene Wenger's trophy haul since then while Denilson's indivual performances have largely flattered to deceive, failing to develop into a midfielder capable of surviving in a physically demanding division. Last season he was farmed back to Sao Paulo on loan, where two red cards in three fiery opening fixtures caused a stir in Brazil. Denilson has recently agreed to stay with Sao Paulo for another season on loan, after which his Gunners contract will have just 12 months left to run.

Who's the forgotten man at your club? Let us know by leaving a comment below...