One season wonders hold a special place in football fans’ hearts. Their star shines so brightly for such a short period of time. They deliver the ultimate highs but are never able to reach those heights again. Here’s our countdown of ten of the most iconic one season wonders of recent time.
10. Jesé Rodríguez – Real Madrid 2013‑14
Jesé was one of the most hyped wonderkids of the early 2010s.
5 goals and 4 assists may not sound groundbreaking, but here was a young Spaniard who was coming off the bench and terrorising La Liga defenders. The 2013-14 season was the first of the ‘BBC’ era of Bale, Benzema and Cristiano yet the young Jesé was still able to hold his own.
Jesé was one of the top performers of the Madrid side after the winter break, alongside Luka Modric, Angel Di Maria and Cristiano Ronaldo. His best moment of the 13/14 season was undoubtedly the Copa del Rey semi-final against city rivals Atlético Madrid. Standing in for the injured Gareth Bale, Jesé ran the experienced Juanfran ragged, bagging a goal in the 3-0 win.
Injuries and inconsistent minutes meant Jesé never lived up to the early hype. He moved to PSG in 2016 but it never quite worked out for the winger.
9. Tiémoué Bakayoko – Monaco 2016‑17
The 16/17 Monaco team was special.
Kylian Mbappe and Radamel Falcao stole the headlines, but Tiémoué Bakayoko was something else in the middle of the park that season.
He formed a formidable midfield partnership with Fabinho. Together, they dominated Ligue 1 and the Champions League, contributing to famous victories over Man City and Borussia Dortmund.
The Frenchman excelled as a deep-lying midfielder who would break up play and drive the ball forward. Not flashy, but devastatingly effective in a two-man midfield pivot.
When Bakayoko joined Chelsea in the summer of 2017, expectations were high. They paid a reported €45 million for the player described as a “complete midfielder” by French manager Didier Deschamps.
The less said about Bakayoko’s time at Chelsea, the better. His whole season in London was a disappointment, with a particularly poor performance against Newcastle on the final day of the season sealing his fate. He was subsequently loaned out for the rest of his contract, before moving to Lorient in 2023.
8. Roque Santa Cruz – Blackburn 2007–08
The streets won’t forget Roque Santa Cruz’s time at Blackburn.
Moving from Bayern Munich to Blackburn isn’t the most common of transfers. Despite his big-club pedigree, nobody quite expected the season that the big Paraguayan had in 2007/08. He was a multi-dimensional goalscorer, demonstrated by his perfect hat-trick against Wigan that featured a goal with his right foot, left foot and a header.
19 Premier League goals almost fired Blackburn into the European places. While this Blackburn team featured other iconic players such as Morten Gamst Pedersen and Benni McCarthy, it was Santa Cruz’s goals that caught the attention of the big clubs.
He stayed for another season at Ewood Park, but was only able to notch up four league goals. A big money move to Man City followed, but the goals did not. In a subsequent loan back to Blackburn, Santa Cruz was unable to find the back of the net.
7. Wilfried Bony – Swansea 2013–14
“Come on Wilfried Bony, score some goals for Swansea”.
One of the best chants of recent years, befitting of one of the best goalscorers at his peak.
The comparisons to Didier Drogba were justified. Premier League defenders were terrified of Bony – he bullied backlines and knew how to find the back of the net. It wasn’t just the Ivorian’s physicality; he was able to consistently find a yard of space in the box
25 goals across all competitions is an impressive return, especially in a Swansea team that was not stacked with world-class talent.
Just like Santa Cruz, Bony made a big money move to Man City that never quite lived up to expectations.
6. Krzysztof Piątek – Genoa / Milan 2018–19
Many players on this list earned a big money transfer but were not able to ever replicate their form; Piątek is an exception.
Krzysztof Piątek took just six minutes to score his first Serie A goal for Genoa. He kept on scoring; Piątek became the first striker since Shevchenko in 1999 to score five Serie A goals in just four games.
Genoa deployed a 3-5-2 formation that was ideal for the tall Pole. He linked up well with Christian Kouamé and the goals kept on coming for Piątek.
Come the January transfer window, big clubs around Europe were interested. Chelsea were reportedly keen, but it was AC Milan who snapped up Piątek for a reported fee €31.50 million.
The goals kept on coming, even in his new surroundings at the San Siro. Piątek scored 13 goals across all competitions for Milan in the remainder of the 18-19 season. He finished as the third top scorer in the league, behind Fabio Quagliarella and Duván Zapata but ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo.
As quickly as he burst onto the scene, he faded away. In the 2019/20 season, Piątek managed just five goals in all competitions. Following the arrival of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Piątek often found himself on the bench before eventually leaving for Hertha Berlin.
5. Renato Sanches – Benfica / Portugal 2015–16 & Euro 2016
Renato Sanches was the definition of a teenage sensation.
His breakthrough season wasn’t defined by goals or assists, but by his sheer raw power and an on-field maturity beyond his years. His aggression and ball-carrying transformed Benfica’s midfield, helping them to win the domestic double. In the process, Sanches was awarded both the Primeira Liga Breakthrough Player and the Golden Boy.
Sanches’ inclusion in a list of one season wonders is secured because he peaked so early and so dramatically. The 18 year old didn’t just look ready for the world stage, he looked unstoppable.
But, as has happened on many occasions, the big money move just didn’t work out. Bayern Munich signed Sanches for an initial €35 million, but after a slow start his Bundesliga career never really got off the ground.
Sanches was part of Lille’s title winning team of 2020/21, playing a valuable but not central role to their success. He is still a powerful midfielder with impressive ball-carrying ability, but he has never replicated the levels he was hitting as an 18 year old.
4. Yoann Gourcuff – Bordeaux 2008–09
Many players have been dubbed the new Zidane, but for a time Gourcuff looked to be his rightful heir.
Following a largely anonymous two years at AC Milan, Gourcuff joined Bordeaux on loan. What followed is what is widely known as one of the most successful loan periods of all time.
Gourcuff was trusted by Laurent Blanc to be the creative fulcrum of a Bordeaux side that won both the Ligue 1 title and Coupe de la Ligue. Deployed most often as a number 10, Gourcuff pulled the strings with style and technical brilliance.
If you haven’t already seen his goal versus PSG in January 2009, go and watch it. His quick feet to turn three defenders before smashing it into the top corner were certainly Zidane-esque.
His loan move was made permanent in the summer of 2009. Whilst Gourcuff started the 2009/10 season brightly, his form began to drop off before Christmas and he never returned to the worldbeater that he looked whilst on loan.
Gourcuff still had a decent career that many players would be proud of, but that Zidane heir aura only truly existed in that one glorious season.
Never fall in love with a loan player, as they say.
3. Papiss Cissé – Newcastle United 2011‑12
Papiss Cissé didn’t even need a whole season to be a wonder. Arriving in the January transfer window, Cissé was handed the iconic number 9 shirt and he certainly lived up to the billing.
He instantly struck up a deadly partnership with fellow Senegalese striker Demba Ba. In just 13 starts, Cissé scored 13 goals, including a swerving 35-yard outside of the boot strike against Chelsea that is still widely regarded as one of the greatest ever seen in the Premier League.
Whilst his goals were not enough for Newcastle to earn a Champions League place, Cissé had earned his place as a cult hero with the Geordies. He scored in seven consecutive Premier League matches, a club record he shares with Newcastle’s two greatest strikers; Alan Shearer and Les Ferdinand.
The following season, Cissé was only able to score 8 goals in 36 games. Whilst he did suffer from tactical changes and positional shifts, the clinical finishing that defined his 2011/12 season was replaced by an erratic streak in front of goal. He remained at the club until 2016 and left as a hero, but was never able to match his debut heroics.
2. Michu – Swansea City 2012‑13
Swansea fans know a thing or two about one season wonders.
Michu was pure magic in the 2012/13 season. Arriving in the summer transfer window to little fanfare, he went on to set the Premier League alight from day one. On his league debut, Michu scored two against QPR and never looked back.
He scored 18 league goals that season, including a memorable late double against Arsenal at The Emirates. Away from the Prem, his goals helped Swansea win the League Cup, their first ever piece of major silverware.
Michu was so much more than just a goalscorer. He had an exquisite first touch and linked up well with the players around him. The lanky Spaniard was elegant but clinical, he had a similar swagger to Berbatov in making everything look effortless.
Injuries derailed Michu’s 2013/14 season, mustering up only six goals in all competitions. Struggles with chronic ankle issues led to an early retirement in 2017 aged just 31.
Such is Michu’s legacy that he remains revered by top players. Erling Haaland’s admiration is well-documented; the Norwegian used to tag himself on Instagram as Michu and has subsequently copied his signature goal celebration.
1. Grafite – VfL Wolfsburg 2008‑09
Where to begin.
Grafite in 2008/09 delivered the most absurd, unexpectedly brilliant seasons in modern football.
Before the 2008 season, he was a respected Brazilian forward who had a good goalscoring record for clubs including São Paulo and Le Mans.
He moved to VfL Wolfsburg in 2007 for a fee of €5.6 million and delivered a steady first season return of 11 goals and 6 assists.
Whatever Felix Magath worked on with his Wolfsburg team in pre-season clearly paid off, as they stormed the league to claim their one and only Bundesliga title to date.
Grafite formed a deadly combination with a young Edin Dzeko. The pair delivered the most prolific strike partnership in Bundesliga history; their combined 54 goals topped the 53 goals scored by Bayern’s legendary Gerd Müller and Uli Hoeneß.
Dzeko would often drop deep to link up play, leaving Grafite to cause carnage higher up the pitch. He bullied defenders with his strength and turn of pace. He was ice-cold in the box and delivered in the big games.
No mention of Grafite is complete without talking about that goal he scored against Bayern. It is hard to put into words a goal that saw him dribble past four players and backheel the ball into the net.
Injuries started to creep in during the next season, and neither he nor Wolfsburg were able to replicate the same magic that saw them lift their one and only Bundesliga.
Grafite epitomised everything fans love about one season wonders. As quickly as he burst onto the scene, he began to fade away from the limelight. But for that season, he was absolutely unstoppable and has left a legacy that will never be forgotten.
