Tony Adams recommended an 18-year-old Eric Dier to Arsenal two years before he joined Tottenham, only to be told the England international was considered too one-paced for the Premier League.
Dier was more-or-less completely unknown to English football five years ago, quietly making his way through the Sporting Lisbon academy. However, an England Under 19 training camp exposed his talent to the former Arsenal captain.
Struck by Dier's ability, Adams immediately tipped off his old club, even telling them he had a release clause in his contract set at £4m. But his advice would fall on deaf ears, allowing their north London rivals to sign him two years later.