29. Peter Shilton

“Peter Shilton, Peter Shilton, does your missus know you’re here?” was a famous chant in the 1980s which rang in all the away grounds he went to play. Now, you may ask, what has that to do with drink driving?  Shilton, in his autobiography, said he went out alone to eat one night, got drunk and met a young woman whom he drove back home after closing. According to him, a car followed him and only after a few miles did he understand it was the woman’s husband! It was panic and he raced away, lost control of the car and crashed into a lamp post. He was banned from driving for 15 months and was fined a sum of £350 for drink driving.

28. George Best

George Best and his private life had always been of great interest to media, his drunken exploits continued to make headlines even after Best’s football career was finished. Best was arrested in December 1984 for drink driving and assaulting a police officer. He was given a three-month sentence.

27. Tony Adams

The former Arsenal captain, Tony Adams, crashed his car into a brick wall in 1990. He was four times over the legal limi. Adams was sent to Chelmsford Prison for four months and was disqualified from driving for two years. Later, in 1996, he admitted his drink addiction and cleaned himself up.

26. Peter Beagrie

Peter Beagrie, then an Everton winger, got lost in a Spanish town after a night out drink during the club’s tour in 1991. He somehow found his way back to the team hotel on a motorcycle and found the hotel porter is fast asleep. Beagrie rode straight through a plate-glass window and crashed into the hotel. He was badly hurt and needed 50 stitches on his head. The worst part is that he drove into the wrong hotel!

25. Rio Ferdinand

Ferdinand, known for his love for fast cars, was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol in 1997. The then 18-year old was banned from driving and was dropped from the England team. Ferdinand had been caught in many other incidents and was named by Daily Soccer Blog as one of the top troublemakers in English football. In 2005 he was banned again for speeding, trying to overtake a police car at 105mph.

24. Jody Morris

Morris, who came through the youth ranks at Chelsea, was arrested and jailed for drink driving in 2001. He got a four years driving ban and had to do community service. He was convicted for drink driving again in 2006 and was given two-year suspended sentence.

23. Nolberto Solano

The former Newcastle winger was arrested for suspected drink driving in 2001. He was taken to the Etal Lane police station and was charged in connection with road traffic offence.

22. James Beattie

The former Southampton striker was stopped by police after a night out in September 2002 and was found to be three time over the alcohol limit. Beattie was sentenced to 100 hours’ community service.

21. Mark Venus

Venus drank four pints at a party and drove his wife’s car during the early hours in September 2002. He was arrested by Cochester police, fined £3,000 and banned for 18 months. He was Ipswich Town’s Player of the Year at the time.

20. Eirik Bakke

The Norwegian and then Leeds United midfielder was arrested for drink driving in 2003. He was fined £6,000.

19. Seth Johnson

The former England international was admitted charges of speeding and drink driving in August 2003, when he was speeding at 135mph near Bradford. He was banned from driving for two years and was sentenced to 100 hours community service.

18. Guy Charles

The former England international, more often remembered as the victim of Gascoigne’s horrific tackle in the 1991 FA cup semi-final, was found drink driving and assaulting a 30 year old woman. He was jailed for four months in January 2004 for a series of drink driving offences.

17. Jermaine Pennant

Pennant, then at Arsenal, crashed his Mercedes into a lamppost in 2005 after getting lost on a journey from Bristol to London. He was jailed for three months and fined.

16. Adam Proudlock

In 2005 November, the then Ipswich Town player Proudlock was arrested for drink driving and fined £1,000. The magistrate banned him from driving for 20 months and suggested he complete a drink-driving course.

MORE SHAMED FOOTBALLERS AFTER THE JUMP! CLICK HERE FOR THE NEXT 15!

Here, Daily Soccer Blog looks at 50 of those transfers – the bizarre, the boring and the breathtaking and looks at how their arrivals will affect the clubs who bought them.

Counting down…

50. Julian Gray

Teams Involved – Coventry City to Fulham
Fee – Undisclosed

Former Arsenal trainee Gray can operate as a left winger or as a makeshift left back, but has not seen any first team action this season while on loan at Fulham. Gray was instrumental during Crystal Palace’s promotion during the 2003/04 season and even found time to have a loan spell at Cardiff City that season. After making 125 appearances for the Eagles, he joined Birmingham City on a free transfer in June 2004, making 60 appearances, before moving to Coventry City in July 2007.

Transfer Rating – 4/10. Despite not playing a single game for Fulham while on loan, Roy Hodgson saw fit to sign Gray on a permanent deal. Perhaps he was desperate for some deadline-day buzz, or perhaps he feels Gray can add something to the squad. Either way, it’s hardly an exciting move amid a frenzied day of transfer action.

49. Ariza Makukula

Teams Involved – Benfica to Bolton Wanderers
Fee – Loan

Ariza Makukula has certainly done the rounds and Bolton are the tenth club he has represented during his career which began at Portuguese outfit Vitoria Guimaraes a decade ago. The Congolese-born Portugal international enjoyed the most prolific spells of his career at UD Salamanca in 2001/02, where he scored 21 goals and on loan at Maritimo from Sevilla in 2007/08, netting 10 goals in just 13 appearances. Aside from that, goals have been hard to come by for a striker deemed good enough to represent Portugal and who scored on his debut in a 2-1 win against Kazakhstan on 17 October 2007.

Transfer Rating – 4/10. Makukula could provide a stop-gap for Bolton who are not known for their prolific scoring abilities but it’s unlikely he is going to set the Premiership goal scoring charts alight. He’s started three matches for the Trotters so far and has been substituted in each one of them, scoring no goals in the process. He’s on loan until the end of the season with a view to a permanent £4.5 million move – Bolton fans must be ecstatic at the prospect.

48. Peter Lovenkrands

Teams Involved – Schalke 04 to Newcastle United
Fee – Free

Out of the frying pan is a term which could describe Peter Lovenkrands’ transfer to Newcastle United. After playing just nine minutes of first team football this season for Schalke 04 in the Bundesliga and not starting a match for them since February 2008, he was released and joined the Magpies until the end of the season. Lovenkrands is best known for his six year spell at Rangers, where he scored 54 goals in 182 appearances and was instrumental in the Gers reaching the last 16 of the Champions League during the 2005-06 campaign.

Transfer Rating – 4/10. At 28-years-of-age, Lovenkrands should be at his peak, but after two years in Germany ravaged by injury and poor form, it looks as though his better days are behind him. Newcastle are a club in turmoil, with uncertainty and in-fighting the order of the day. Lovenkrands was probably seen as a cheap option to try and score some much-needed goals but the problem is, he hasn’t scored in two seasons.

47. Marlon King

Teams Involved – Wigan Athletic to Middlesbrough
Fee – Loan

Marlon King joined his second club on loan of the season when he cut short his spell at Hull City to join struggling Middlesbrough. King scored five goals in 20 Premiership appearances for the Tigers, with his last goal coming on 6 December in a 2-1 victory, ironically against Middlesbrough. King only joined Wigan Athletic a year ago for around £3 million from Watford, but it is unlikely he has a future at the JJB Stadium.

Transfer Rating – 4/10. Middlesbrough are in real danger of relegation this season and Gareth Southgate appears to be pinning their survival hopes on King, a nomadic striker who rarely scores goals – this season’s Marcus Bent, if you like. King is known for his recent problems, including a speeding ban and arrest for alleged assault, so perhaps a change of scenery will do him good. If not, Middlesbrough could be in a lot of trouble come the end of the season.

46. Youssouf Mulumbu

Teams Involved – Paris St. Germain to West Bromwich Albion
Fee – Loan

Youssouf Mulumbu is a Zaire-born Congo DR international who joined the Hawthorns outfit on loan for the rest of the season from Paris St Germain. The midfielder made 13 appearances for Paris St. Germain since making his debut in 2006 and also made 23 appearances, scoring one goal on loan at Amiens during the 2007/08 campaign. Baggies manager Tony Mowbray sees Mulumbu as one for the future and doesn’t expect the eight-times capped player to make an instant impact in the first team.

Transfer Rating – 5/10. Mulumbu’s arrival gives boss Mowbray further options in midfield he doesn’t see him as immediate first team material. He’s the sort of signing you get the feeling won’t really make a massive impact at a struggling club like the Baggies. If he’s up for the fight, he could prove vital during the latter stages of the season but if not, he’s just another player to send packing at the end of May.

45. Pele

Teams Involved – FC Porto to Portsmouth
Fee – Loan

No… not that one! Instead, “Pele” is a relative unknown who has played only a handful of games for three clubs during the past three years. After failing to make an impact at Vitoria Guimaraes, a modest club in Portugal’s top division, he signed for Serie A giants Inter Milan in the summer of 2007. He broke into the first team, mainly due to an horrific midfield injury crisis but was shipped out to Porto a year later as a makeweight in the deal which took Ricardo Quaresma to the San Siro. Pele has hardly had a sniff of first team football this season and joined Portsmouth on loan to try and resurrect his faltering career.

Transfer Rating – 5/10. You have to be either very good, or very confident in your own ability to get away with a moniker like “Pele”, but so far Vitor Hugo Gomes Passos hasn’t really done anything to prove he is worthy of the name. He is still young, at 21-years-old, so he deserves the benefit of the doubt and it will be interesting to see if makes any sort of impact in the Premiership after being largely frozen out at Porto.

44. Gael Givet

Teams Involved – Marseille to Blackburn Rovers
Fee – Loan

Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce may have pulled off a coup in clinching the signing of Marseille defender Gael Givet. During his time at Monaco, Givet played in the 2004 Champions League final for Monaco, a team he made 178 league appearances for in seven years. Givet joined Marseille ahead of the 2007/08 campaign and featured regularly but fell out with manager Erik Gerets before the start of this season and has not played at all. He has won 13 international caps for France and can play at left back or central defence.

Transfer Rating – 5/10. Givet is a vastly experienced defender who has played at the highest club level. However, there may be issues with his temperament, hence his loan move to Blackburn and since he has not played much football this season, it could take a while for him to regain full match fitness.

43. Manucho

Teams Involved – Manchester United to Hull City
Fee – Loan

Not much is known about Manucho, the Angolan striker who signed for Manchester United during last year’s transfer window. The 25-year-old was swiftly sent out on loan to Panathinaikos while awaiting a UK work permit and he scored four goals in seven appearances for the Greek club. After making just one first team appearance for United this season, as a substitute against Middlesbrough in the Carling Cup, he joined Hull on loan until the end of the 2008/09 campaign.

Transfer Rating – 5/10. Manucho’s transfer to Hull is difficult to assess because there’s not really much to go on. However, Phil Brown worked wonders with an on loan Manchester United striker last season, Frazier Campbell, who fired in 15 goals as the Tigers won promotion from the Championship. If Manucho can have the same sort of impact, there will be no danger of Hull being dragged into the relegation mire after making such a great start to the season.

42. Juan Carlos Menseguez

Teams Involved – San Lorenzo to West Bromwich Albion
Fee – Loan

Attacking midfielder was weaned on football from an early age and joined River Plate when he was just five years old. He never made a senior appearance for the Argentine giants because he was sold to Bundesliga outfit VfL Bochum in 2003. He made 110 appearances for Bochum, scoring five goals and then returned to his homeland in 2007 when he signed for 10-times league winners San Lorenzo. Menseguez made 34 appearances, scoring six goals for the club before joining the Baggies on loan with a view to a permanent move in January.

Transfer Rating – 5/10. Aside from one or two notable exceptions, such as Carlos Tevez and Julio Arca, Argentinian players are a bit hit-or-miss in the Premiership. Perhaps Mowbray thinks he may have unearthed another Mauro Zarate, who rose to prominence last season with Birmingham City, though he could just as easily be another Esteban Fuertes.

41. Marc-Antoine Fortune

Teams Involved – Nancy to West Bromwich Albion
Fee – Loan

With the Baggies propping up the rest of the league, Marc-Antoine Fortune arrived at the Hawthorns on loan until the end of the season, with manager Tony Mowbray also having the option to make his move permanent. Fortune made his debut during West Brom’s 3-0 victory against Middlesbrough, in which he received a standing ovation when finally replaced by Craig Beattie. He may have scored a debut goal, as he deflected in an effort from Robert Koren but thusfar the goal has been credited to the Slovenian international.

Transfer Rating – 5/10. Fortune has not exactly been prolific during his career and has mustered around one goal every four to five matches. This is not the sort of ratio a struggling team at the foot of the table can rely on to avoid relegation and while Fortune may be a decent enough player, he is unlikely to pull up any trees in the Premiership.

40. Savio Nsereko

Teams Involved – Brescia to West Ham United
Fee – Undisclosed (believed to be around £10 million)

Relative unknown Savio Nsereko is a Ugandan-born German Under-19 international who has spent the last three-and-a-half years plying his trade in Italy with Serie B club Brescia. He is a direct replacement for Craig Bellamy, who left for Manchester City, but his fee is believed to be higher than the club record £7.5 million paid to Liverpool for Bellamy in 2007. Nsereko, who came on as a substitute in West Ham’s 2-0 win over Hull, was also rumoured to be attracting interest from Juventus and Roma.

Transfer Rating – 5/10. One of the strangest transfers of the season until you discover who was involved in the deal. The Sporting Director of West Ham is Gianluca Nani, who just happens to be the son-in-law of Brescia club president Luigi Corioni. In the words of one tabloid journalist: “Savio Nsereko had better be good”.

39. Jo

Teams Involved – Manchester City to Everton
Fee – Loan

Manchester City’s club record transfer, at an eye-watering £19 million, Jo, has been farmed out on loan to Everton for the remainder of the season. One tabloid columnist described him as the only Brazilian unable to trap a bag of cement and he has made just 13 senior appearances for City since joining from CSKA Moscow last summer. In Russia, he was a revelation, scoring 44 goals in 77 appearances but has not found the net in England since scoring in City’s 6-0 drubbing of Portsmouth last September.

Transfer Rating – 5/10. Jo has been one of the most expensive flops in Premiership history and will attempt to resurrect his tattered career at Everton. With the likes of Louis Saha and James Vaughan injured, Toffees fans will be used to strikers who don’t score any goals. Only time will tell if he is the right man to fill the void left by the injured Yakubu, which has forced midfielder Tim Cahill to play up front in recent weeks.

38. Pascal Chimbonda

Teams Involved – Sunderland to Tottenham Hotspur
Fee – Undisclosed (believed to be around £3 million)

Defender Pascal Chimbonda was one of three former Tottenham Hotspur players, sold by manager Juande Ramos, who returned to the club during the January transfer window. He only joined Sunderland last summer but failed to settle in the North East and has a second chance at Spurs where he spent two seasons previously. Arguably, Chimbonda played his best Premiership football at Wigan Athletic during the 2005/06 season. He was named in the PFA Team of the Year, where he was voted best right back in the league ahead of Gary Neville, Paul Ferreira and Steve Finnan. He has one cap for France and also represented Guadeloupe in 2003.

Transfer Rating – 5/10. Chimbonda seems to have lost his way since he burst into the Premiership with Wigan three-and-a-half years ago. However, Harry Redknapp was keen to bring the player back to White Hart Lane and it is up to Chimbonda to repay the faith shown in him.

37. El-Hadji Diouf

Teams Involved – Sunderland to Blackburn Rovers
Fee – Undisclosed (believed to be around £2 million)

Blackburn Rovers manager Sam Allardyce linked up with striker Diouf for the second time when he brought him to Ewood Park from Sunderland. The pair worked together previously at Bolton Wanderers where Diouf spent three seasons, scoring 12 goals in 87 league appearances. He also spent a spell on loan at Bolton during the 2004/05 season, where he scored nine goals in 27 appearances. Diouf rose to prominence during the 2002 World Cup and scored the winning goal for Senegal against France. His performances persuaded Liverpool to part with £10 million to sign him from Lens but lthis season he failed to score in 14 appearances for Sunderland.

Transfer Rating – 5/10. Rovers find themselves in the relegation mire and all new arrivals at the club need to be positive. Allardyce knows exactly what he is getting with Diouf and if he can encourage the player to repeat the performances of his Bolton days then he will be an excellent addition to the Rovers quad.

36. Tal Ben Haim

Teams Involved – Manchester City to Sunderland
Fee – Loan

Tal Ben Haim’s career has stuttered over the past two seasons. He arrived in English football in 2004 with Bolton Wanderers and went on to make 88 Premiership appearances for the Trotters over three seasons. His impressive displays in defence did not go unnoticed and he joined Chelsea on a free transfer in the summer of 2007. However, he was largely frozen out under manager Avram Grant and was shipped out to Manchester City for around £5 million last summer. Despite making his debut against EB/Streymur in City’s UEFA Cup qualifying campaign at the end of July he made only nine Premiership appearances and his search for regular, first team football has now seen him move to Sunderland in January.

Transfer Rating – 6/10. The defender has not played much football in the last two seasons during unsuccessful spells at Chelsea and Manchester City. However, he has a lot of Premiership experience from his time at Bolton Wanderers and links up again with Ricky Sbragia, who was first-team coach during Ben Haim’s stint at the Reebok Stadium. He will know what is required of him playing in a team which is striving to avoid relegation and will add needed depth to the Black Cats’ squad.

35. Calum Davenport

Teams Involved – West Ham United to Sunderland
Fee – Loan

Since making 83 appearances for Coventry City and winning the Young Player of the Year accolade at the end of the 2002/03 season, Davenport has move from club to club in an attempt to prove he can cut it in the Premiership. He left the Sky Blues for Tottenham Hotspur in August 2004, but after two-and-a-half frustrating years at White Hart Lane, he joined West Ham United, where he previously spent time on loan. However, after making just 14 appearances in two years at Upton Park and also being farmed out to Watford during this time, he joined Sunderland on loan until the end of the season.

Transfer Rating – 6/10. Davenport is still hunting for a Premiership team where he can command a regular, first-team place and Sunderland will be his seventh English club. After failing to impress Gianfranco Zola this season, he will give Ricky Sbragia further defensive options as the Black Cats batten down the hatches between now and the end of the campaign.

34. Nadir Belhadj

Teams Involved – Lens to Portsmouth
Fee – £4.4 million

After playing at Fratton Park on loan since August, Algerian international Nadir Belhadj joined Portsmouth on a permanent deal from Lens.He sparkled during Pompey’s run in the UEFA Cup against Vitoria and more notably AC Milan, where he was awarded Man of the Match. His long range goal against Sunderland also gave new manager Tony Adams his first victory in charge of the club.

Transfer Rating – 6/10. Belhadj is a quality player who can operate at both left wing and left back, although there are question marks over his temperament. He was sent off after picking up two yellow cards in Pompey’s 1-0 defeat against Aston Villa, but was fortunate not to receive a straight red for a hacking Craig Gardner to the ground. During times of crisis, you need your best players to keep a cool head and Tony Adams will have to ensure there isn’t a repeat performance.

33. Matthew Etherington

Teams Involved – West Ham United to Stoke City
Fee – £2 million

Manager Tony Pulis has been active during the transfer window as he attempts to haul his side out of the relegation zone and the arrival of left winger Matthew Etherington from cash-strapped West Ham could prove to be a good piece of business. Etherington made almost 200 appearances for West Ham during a five-and-a-half year spell at Upton Park and won “Hammer of the Year” in his debut season at the club. It was his cross which lead to the winning goal in the 2004/05 Play Off final, in which the Hammers beat Preston North End to return to the Premiership.

Transfer Rating – 6/10. Etherington seems to fit the bill at the Britannia Stadium and is reknowned for his crossing ability. A team known for its physical play, Etherington will be expected to sling balls into the box at every opportunity as the Potters battle for their lives in the top flight for the remainder of the season.

32. Henri Camara

Teams Involved – Wigan Athletic to Stoke City
Fee – Loan

Journeyman striker Camara makes Stoke City his sixth British club after moving to the Britannia Stadium on loan until the end of the season. When given a chance, Camara usually performs well, as 20 goals in 69 appearances for Wigan testifies, but he has found himself largely out of favour at the JJB Stadium. He had a productive loan spell at Celtic during the 2004/05 season, where he scored eight goals in 18 appearances but was used sparingly when on loan at West Ham last season. He is out of contract at the end of this campaign and will look to earn a permanent move to the Potters.

Transfer Rating – 6/10. It was a little surprising to see Camara join struggling Stoke, having made a decent contribution to Wigan’s season with six goals, including the winner against Everton last November. He should fit in well to Stoke’s style of play and his pace and directness makes him an ideal replacement for the injured Ricardo Fuller.

31. Radoslav Kovac

Teams Involved – Spartak Moscow to West Ham United
Fee – Loan

Czech international midfielder has spent the last three-and-ahalf seasons at Spartak Moscow, making 80 league appearances for the Russian side which limped to an eighth placed finish this season. Having also spent time at Sparta Prague and Sigma Olomouc in his homeland,  the versatile Kovac is ready to take on the challenge of playing in England. The Hammers fended off interest from Celtic for the 29-year-old, who has won 25 caps for his country and who played in the 2006 World Cup and Euro 2008.

Transfer Rating – 6/10. Following the departures of Hayden Mullins and Julian Faubert, the Hammers needed some competition in midfield and Kovac brings a wealth of experience. A defensive-minded player, Kovac will help to solidify the Hammers midfield as they look to maintain their position in the top 10.

30. Kamil Zayatte

Teams Involved – Young Boys to Hull City
Fee – £2.5 million

Defender Zayatte has been on a season-long loan at Hull City since August 2008 after having trial spells with both Everton and Newcastle United last summer. The Guinea international has featured heavily this season and manager Phil Brown has opted to make his move to the KC Stadium permanent in a deal worth £2.5 million. He scored his first goal for the club during a 3-0 victory against West Bromwich Albion during Hull’s strong start to the Premiership campaign.

Transfer Rating – 6/10. Zayatte has proven to be a solid performer for Hull during their first season in the Premiership and formed a good partnership with fellow centre back Michael Turner. His permanent arrival equals the amount paid for Anthony Gardner, ironically the player Zayatte is keeping out of the team.

29. Charles N’Zogbia

Teams Involved – Newcastle United to Wigan Athletic
Fee – Undisclosed (believed to be around £6.5 million)

French midfielder Charles N’Zogbia is probably the most relieved player of the transfer window, after engineering a move away from Newcastle, a club he couldn’t wait to see the back of. Fed up with the club’s ambitions and angered by manager Joe Kinnear’s mispronounciation of his name as insomnia, N’Zogbia stated he would never play for the Magpies again under the current management. After making 118 appearances for the Newcastle since 2004, in which he scored nine goals, N’Zogbia joined improving Wigan Athletic on deadline day.

Transfer Rating – 6/10. N’Zogbia finally managed to get the move away from Newcastle United he wanted but whether he will be satisfied at a club like Wigan, after he was previously linked with Arsenal, Aston Villa and Lyon, remains to be seen. N’Zogbia needs to get his dead down and stop complaining and if he does, then Wigan manager Steve Bruce will have a decent player to call upon.

28. Olivier Dacourt

Teams Involved – Inter Milan to Fulham
Fee – Loan

Roy Hodgson moved quickly to replace Jimmy Bullard by signing veteran defensive midfielder Oliver Dacourt on loan until the end of the season. Dacourt was an important player during Leeds United’s time as genuine Premiership challengers and then spent three years at Roma. He then signed a two-year deal at Inter Milan, where he was originally going to be used as a backup player. However, a severe injury to Patrick Vieria saw Dacourt become a key player in Inter’s winning of Serie A in the 2006/07 season but missed half of the following season with a torn cruciate ligament. Jose Mourinho didn’t see Dacourt as part of his plans this season so he returned to the Premiership, where he also spent time at Everton 10 years ago.

Transfer Rating – 6/10. Dacourt is coming to the end of his career but has the opportunity of one last crack at the Premiership wioth Fulham. He is vastly experienced and played some of the best football of his career during the successful Leeds United years before moving to Italy. With the influnential Bullard gone to pastures new, “The General” could prove an important player during the remainder of Fulham’s season.

27. Kevin Nolan

Teams Involved – Bolton Wanderers to Newcastle United
Fee – £4 million

Kevin Nolan brought a 12-year stay at Bolton to an end in January, where he scored 50 goals in 345 first team appearances, to join Newcastle United on a four-and-a-half year contract. The midfielder had featured in each of Bolton’s 23 league matches this season, scoring one goal. Alongside Nicky Butt, he will add some authority to the Magpies midfield, which has lost Joey Barton to a long-term injury. He made an instant impact at his new club, clearing a goalbound effort off the line during Newcastle’s 1-1 draw with rivals Sunderland on 1 February.

Transfer Rating – 6/10. A few seasons ago, Nolan was one of the most promising midfielders in the country. His tenacity and goal scoring ability alerted the attention of Liverpool, but a big-money move never transpired. He now joins a troubled club in Newcastle and will have to perform to the best of his abilities to avoid playing in the Championship with his new club next season.

26. Ben Watson

Teams Involved – Crystal Palace to Wigan Athletic
Fee – Undisclosed (believed to be around £2 million)

Former England Under-21 internation Ben Watson has been linked with several clubs over the past few months and looked set to join Middlesbrough in January. However, Wigan matched Boro’s offer and secured the midfielder’s services for the next three-and-a-half years. Watson totted up almost 200 appearances for Crystal Palace, including 21 in the Premiership in the 2004/05 season when the Eagles were relegated on the last day of the season.

Transfer Rating – 7/10. Full credit must be given to Wigan manager Steve Bruce who has moved quickly in the transfer market to replace his departed stars with quality players on a budget. Watson was named Crystal Palace’s Young Player of the Year in 2007 and he is bound to prove a worthy addition to the Latics squad.

WANT TO FIND OUT WHO IS THE TOP JANUARY TRANSFER? CLICK HERE TO COUNTDOWN TRANSFERS 25 TO 1!

In most areas of life being labeled a troublemaker is a bad thing. Not so in football. The players below have clashed with their bosses, taken drugs and attacked their teammates, yet have still been offered lucrative contracts: begging the question does it pay to be a pain in the arse?

Interestingly, the biggest troublemakers often appear to be the biggest talents. No doubt this is why managers and chairman have repeatedly been willing to extend these players “another chance”, but at what point does a player stop being worth the trouble?

Take a look below at the list of players and their rolls of shame and decide for yourself.

10. John Hartson

Hartson was cut from the cloth of the classic big, strong British centre-forward. He started his career at Luton Town and then moved to the capital where he played for Arsenal, West Ham and Wimbledon. He played his best football at Celtic where he notched 88 goals in five seasons and claimed various winner’s medals.

October, 1998 – Hartson’s no none-sense approach meant that he saw red on many occasions but none quite as emphatic as the time when he volleyed his West Ham teammate, Eyal Berkovic, full throttle in the head. Certainly not a persistent troublemaker but the fact that this attack was caught on camera, allowing everyone to see the heinous kick again and again, means he sneaks onto the list at number 10.

What Next? – Not much. Hartson retired in 2008 and now works as part of Setanta’s coverage of the Scottish Premier League.

9. Jermaine Pennant

Big things were expected of Jermaine Pennant when at just 15 he was signed by Arsenal for £2 million. Although he showed glimpses of talent, that helped earn him 24 England U21 caps, he has ultimately never lived up to the hype and has spent much of his career as a wanderer: playing on loan at four different clubs.

April, 2003 – Rumours of Pennant’s lack of discipline and motivation surfaced but it all came to a head when when he was sent home from England U21s duty for breaking curfew.

January, 2005 – Wenger lost patience and he was sent out on loan. Pennant was  eventually signed by Birmingham and it was during this time that he crashed his car and was convicted of drink driving, while already serving a ban. Pennant spent the 30 days of a 90 day sentence in prison and was forced to wear an electronic tag throughout his parole period. Even while on the pitch: the first player to do so in the Premiership.

What Next? – Pennant appeared to put the past behind him and won the Champions League with Liverpool. But inconsistency has struck again and he gone back to the road: currently on loan at Portsmouth.

8. Rio Ferdinand

Rio was a product of the successful West Ham youth academy and spent five years at the club before moving to Leeds United in 2000. Two years later, after a fantastic World Cup for England in 2002, Rio joined Man Utd for a transfer fee of over £30 million.

September, 1997 – Rio might be a rock of stability nowadays but in the early part of his career he repeatedly courted controversy. In 1997, following the news that he had been called up to the England squad, Rio went out to celebrate, got caught drink driving and was banned from making his debut against Moldova.

June, 2000 -Three years later and Rio made the headlines when, along with Frank Lampard   and Kieron Dyer, he made a sex tape while on holiday in Ayia Napa. Said tape fell into the hands of the tabloids and the boys were condemned as the new breed of morally bankrupt, mega-rich, football stars.

October, 2003 – Another three years and another mistake. This time Rio “forgot” to attend a mandatory drug test which resulted in him being handed an 8 month ban and missing out on playing for England at Euro 2004.

What Next? – Rio’s a family man now and has appeared to put the trouble making behind him… although the infamous Manchester United Christmas party in 2007, that resulted in Jonny Evans being accused of rape, was alleged to have been organised by Rio.

7. William Gallas

The French international came to the Premiership from Marseilles back in 2001 and has since made over 230 appearances for Chelsea and Arsenal and scored over 20 goals.

September, 2006 – After moving to Arsenal form Chelsea on deadline day it later emerged that Gallas had virtually blackmailed his way out of the club: refusing to go on an American pre-season tour and allegedly threatening to score own goals if he was made to play.

February, 2008 – While playing as captain in a game Arsenal desperately needed to win, Gallas threw a temper tantrum on the pitch when Birmingham were given a last minute penalty that allowed them to earn a draw. At the end of the game, when the rest of the team headed for the dressing room, Gallas sat stubbornly on the pitch.

November, 2008 – Gallas broke the unwritten rule of not airing your dirty laundry in public when he spoke out about what he thought was  a lack of courage in his younger teammates; in particular, although not explicitly, Cesc Fabregas.

What Next? The recent outburst cost him the Arsenal captain’s armband and doubts have been cast over his future at the club. Unsurprising really, Gallas’ very public brand of trouble making could, in  some ways, be deemed more disruptive to a team than someone who goes round punching people.

6. David Beckham

David Beckham was born in London but started his football career up North when he chose to sign for Man Utd instead of his local Tottenham side. He went on to score 62 Premiership goals and Captain England.

January, 1998 – Sir Goldenballs, a troublemaker… surely not? But how could his gargantuan fame not amount to trouble making? It all started at the beginning of 1998 when Becks proposed to Posh spice and the Beckham brand was born.

February, 2003 – Conflict had been building between Ferguson and Becks as the player’s off the field commitments began to affect his commitment to the team. The nail in the coffin came after an FA Cup defeat to Arsenal: Fergie kicked out at a boot that struck Becks and cut his head open. That summer he left for Real Madrid.

January, 2007 – The publicity bandwagon did not stop at Madrid and claims of an affair in 2004 meant that Beckham continued to monopolize the front pages. Madrid were not that bothered, they were still making lots of money, but then hard man Capello turned up and had no time for Beckham’s fame and fortune. He opened the door for Becks to leave by stating Beckham had played his last game for Madrid.

What Next? – True to Becks never-say-die attitude he responded by earning a recall into Capello’s Madrid side and spearheaded them to a league championship. These days Beckham has put his icon status on hiatus as he attempts to convert the US to soccer and overcome his aging legs to keep playing for England.

5. Lee Bowyer

Bowyer has played for five clubs during his career, including Leeds United, West Ham and Newcastle United, and scored over 50 goals.  Despite impressing many managers in the Premiership, Boywer has only one senior England cap to his name.

March, 1995 – Consistently in hot water, Bowyer failed a drugs test for cannabis use while a youth team player at Charlton Athletic and got into trouble before he had played a senior game.

January, 2000 – At Leeds United he was charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent and affray following an incident involving Jonathon Woodgate and an Asian student in Leeds. The charge was later dropped and during the period of the trial Bowyer played the best football of his life, but the controversy cost him any chance of an England career.

April, 2005 – Playing for Newcastle United, Bowyer started an on the pitch brawl with fellow geordie teammate, Kieron Dyer. He was sent off, fined by the club and then later by Northumbria Police.

What Next? – Bowyer recently signed for Birmingham City on loan. He has kept his head down since 2005 but history tells us not to expect it to last.

4. Stan Collymore

Collymore began his professional football career at non-league Stafford Rangers before Crystal Palace took a chance on him in 1990. Then began his ascent up the football league until he signed for Liverpool in 1995 for a then British record transfer fee of £8.5 million. Despite this, Collymore only ever managed to earn three England caps.

June, 1998 – Stan the man had moments of genius on the pitch but all too often it was overshadowed by what people perceived as a poor attitude and some calamitous mistakes. The first major incident came while Glenn Hoddle’s England were playing in the World Cup in France. Stan was watching the game in a bar in Paris with his girlfriend, Ulrika Jonsson. They got into a fight and he was seen punching her.

February, 2000 – Two years later, while Stan was at Leicester, he was involved in an incident at the La Manga golf   resort where he was reported to be the ringleader in a drunken night of excess that ended with a fire extinguisher being let off in the bar and the Leicester team being asked to leave.

February, 2004 – Although technically after Collymore had retired, the infamous dogging incident deserves a mention as it is still something that comes to mind when you think of the great players that never was.

What Next? – These days Collymore is a reformed man and works as a football pundit, a columnist and even starred alongside Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct !

3. Craig Bellamy

Welsh-born Bellamy’s first club was Norwich City where he scored 32 goals in 84 games before moving to Coventry and starting a path that would see him play for eight different clubs (and counting).

March, 2004 – It was not until he reached Newcastle that the trouble making fireworks started in Bellamy’s career. He was cautioned for common assault after allegedly attacking a woman outside a geordie nightclub in 2002 and Bobby Robson labeled him the “gobbiest player” he ever worked with. But it was the throwing of a chair at Newcastle first team coach, John Carver, in 2004 that would set the precedent for Bellamy’s problems dealing with teammates.

January, 2005 – In an interview after Newcastle had played Arsenal, Graeme Souness stated that Bellamy had been dropped from the game because of the player’s reluctance to play on the right side of midfield. So started a war of words that saw Bellamy accused of threatening to feign injury and eventually being loaned out to Celtic. Later, while at Blackburn, it has been reported that Bellamy sent a gloating text to Alan Shearer when Newcastle were knocked out of the FA Cup that only aggravted his relationship with the toon.

February, 2007 – Bellamy’s most high profile offence came while playing for Liverpool during a team training session in Portugal. It is rumoured a row over karaoke singing got out of hand and Bellamy attacked teammate Jon Arne Riise with a golf club. The absence of a caddy means we do not know Bellamy’s choice of club but the incident resulted in him being given the nickname: the nutter with the putter.

What Next? Bellamy has just signed for the richest club in the world… although plans to take him on a trip to Dubai are being evaluated with caution by the senior Man City staff.

2. Paul Gascoigne

One of Newcastle’s most famous exports, Gazza left his hometown club in 1988 to sign for Tottenham. He went on to play in Italy, Scotland, even China and was the star of England’s World Cup tournament in 1990.

1996 – More often mischievous than malicious, Gazza’s trouble making is just as famous as his exceptional talent. His career was a roller coaster of highs and lows that saw him battle against alcohol, injury and a restlessness that lead Gazza to consistently create trouble for himself and those around him. 1996 might be seen as the beginning of the end: first came the ‘dentist chair’ controversy prior to England’s Euro 96 campaign, followed by a stunning display in the tournament but ending with an well publicised attack on his wife, Sheryl.

1998 – The year started with the infamous flute playing celebration while playing for Rangers in an old firm match. Although Gazza was almost certainly not trying to offend every Catholic in Scotland with his Sectarian gesture, the incident resulted in him receiving death threats from the IRA for six months. Then came the crushing news that Gazza had been left out of the England squad for World Cup 98… possibly because he was pictured before the announcement stumbling down a street holding a kebab.

2005 – After years of changing clubs and being in and out of rehab, Gazza was appointed manager of Kettering Town. 39 days after taking charge Gazza walked out with the Kettering chairman accusing Gazza of being under the influence of alcohol before, during and after several first team games and training sessions.

What Next? – Gazza is currently in rehab again after being sectioned for a period in 2008. His playing days are behind him but how great would it be if Gazza could take up his crown of clown prince in the world of football management?

1. Joey Barton

Outspoken, impulsive and and unrestrained, troublemaker may be a misleading word to describe Joey Barton… Thug might be more appropriate. However, Barton can also play and he managed to rack up 130 appearances while at Man City and even one England cap.

December, 2004 -  His career in carnage can be traced back to Christmas of 2004 when Barton stubbed a lit cigar in the eye of youth teammate Jamie Tandy.

July, 2005 – Seven months later and Barton is sent home from City’s pre-season tour in Thailand after clashing with a 15 year old Everton fan, and teammate Richard Dunne, in a bar.

May, 2007 – After criticising the England players who released autobiographies following the 2006 World Cup (“I had a crap World Cup, buy my book”) and then claiming that Man City had made some “substandard” signings, Barton brought an end to his time in Manchester by putting teammate, Ousmane Dabo, in hospital with a vicious attack.

May, 2008 – A year later, with Barton now playing for Newcastle United, he was sentenced to six months in jail for an assault incident in Liverpool city centre. He admitted to being addicted to alcohol and claimed he wanted to achieve total abstinence.

What Next? – Just three months after his conviction he was back playing football at St. James Park. Under new manager Joe Kinnear who knows what will happen next? The smart money says more controversy will follow: Joey Barton does not make trouble… he is trouble.

Match Preview

Two high profile players could make their debuts for each club this evening. Midfield ace Jimmy Bullard, a £5 million acquisition for Fulham, could line up for Hull, while record-signing Savio Nsereko could start for the Hammers after receiving international clearance.

Both sides reached the last 16 of the FA Cup on the weekend but Hull are looking for their first Premiership win in seven. West Ham are undefeated in six matches in all competitions, with five wins and one draw. The Tigers have had the better of the Hammers this season, beating them at the KC Stadium in October. That result took Phil Brown’s side to third in the table, a position which seems a long time ago now.

Both sides occupy the top half of the table but are only a few bad results away from being sucked into the relegation scrap. The Premiership hasn’t been this tight in years and the margins between success and failure are finer than ever before.

Line Ups

West Ham: Green, Neill, Collins, Upson, Ilunga, Behrami, Parker, Collison, Noble, Di Michele, Cole.
Subs: Lastuvka, Boa Morte, Nsereko, Faubert, Tristan, Tomkins, Sears.

Hull: Duke, Ricketts, Turner, Zayatte, Dawson, Marney, Ashbee, Kilbane, Geovanni, Cousin, Manucho.
Subs: Myhill, Fagan, Garcia, Mendy, Halmosi, Folan, Bullard.

Goals

West Ham: Di Michele (33′), Cole (51′)

Live Blog

90+3′ Carlton “One Goal” Cole proves it is impossible for him to score more than once per game, no matter how many shots he attempts. He scuffs a shot from inside the box which is deflected away by Duke.

90+2′ Savio chases eagerly down the left but the ball is shepherded out for a goal kick by Ricketts. It doesn’t look like there will be a magical debut for this young man.

90+1′ Bullard takes a free kick on the edge of the West Ham box but it goes out for a corner.

89′ Intricate build up play by West Ham sees Boa Morte just yards from goal but he slices it horribly wide. That would please a few Tigers fans who can see what they might have gotten for their money.

86′ David Di Michele receives a standing ovation in what has probably been his best performance in West Ham colours. He is replaced by the teenager Savio, who comes on to an equally rapturous applause.

84′ A delightful backheel played substitute Faubert through but Duke was equal to his low shot and denied West Ham yet again. I don’t think Boaz Myhill will be getting a recall any time soon.

83′ Luis Boa Morte comes on for Mark Noble to face the club he turned down a transfer to a few days ago.

81′ Bullard found himself on the end of a crunching tackle by Scott Parker and given his injury record, there would have been a few sharp intakes of breath among the travelling fans. However, he got up and hobbled around so he looks okay.

79′ A quick break from West Ham sees Cole switch play to Noble. The youth team graduate looked like he mishit the ball from the edge of the area but Duke has to tip the looping ball over the bar. The corner comes to nothing.

78′ Dawson delivers an inviting ball into the box but Daniel Cousin, whose forte this season has been headed goals, nods the ball harmlessly over the bar.

75′ West Ham continue to pile on the pressure. Cole sees a close range effort blocked by Turner and the loose ball lands at the feet of Di Michele who unleashes a piledriver towards goal. Duke is up to the task and beat the ball away to keep Hull just about in this match.

73′ Bernard Mendy replaces Dean Marney in Phil Brown’s final throw of the dice.

71′ Some substitute action for West Ham but it’s not Savio who’s coming on. The injury prone Julian Faubert replaces Collison in the West Ham midfield. Perhaps Cole needs to miss a few more chances before he is replaced by the Hammers record signing.

70′ Cole squanders another chance. He is clear again but his shot from inside the box bounces off Michael Turner and behind for a corner.

67′ Ricketts doesn’t get a free kick after he appeared to be shoved by Collison. Cue a slap of the turf and an audible “f word”. Nice to see Sky’s recording equipment is working perfectly.

64′ Savio warms up down the touchline. Will he be any good or another in a long line of dodgy, overpriced signings from abroad for the Hammers? Marney whips a ball into the six yard box but none of his Hull team mates fancy it. He is understandably annoyed.

61′ Bullard’s influence is becoming apparent and Hull begin to control the game from midfield. The £5 million signing tees up Marney but his 20 yard effort is deflected behind for a corner.

57′ Bullard makes an immediate impact and forces Green to make his first real save of the game with an effort from 20 yards. Bullard then takes the corner, which Green also has to tip away. Bullard may have single handedly rescued Fulham last season but even he may not be able to get the Tigers a result out of this game.

55′ Cole is hungry for more goals but he sidefoots a corner wide from a few yards out. Compared to the goal he scored, it was a difficult chance.

52′ Jimmy Bullard replaces Manucho seconds after he heads wide and Craig Fagan replaces the usually mercurial Geovanni. Changes are needed but it could be too little too late for the Tigers.

51′ Goal! West Ham 2 Hull City 0. A free kick from Noble is smashed underneath Duke by Di Michele. The ball riccochets off the post into the path of Carlton Cole who can’t miss from a couple of yards out. It’s now five goals in his last five games.

49′ Cole clearly feels in the shadow of Di Michele this game and attempts an ambitious volley from 25 yards after great link up play by Behrami and Noble. He barely makes contact with the ball and it trickles behind.

47′ Marney drives in an effort from distance as the rains sweeps down but Collins blocks it. A Rickett’s thrown in is met by the head of Cousin but it’s straight at Green.

46′ West Ham get the second half underway. Hopefully Di Michele continues to turn on the style to entertain us neutral television viewers.

Half Time. West Ham would have wrapped the match up by now but for the brilliance of goalkeeper Matt Duke. Manager Phil Brown has the player who cost the Tigers £20,000 from Burton in 2004 and who has been sent out to footballing outposts in Stockport and Wycombe in recent years to thank for keeping them in the game. A superb penalty save and the save from Cole late on has given Hull something to cling on to but it is is West Ham’s David Di Michele who is running the show. He really fancies it tonight, is linking up brilliantly with Cole and if it wasn’t for the woodwork he would have scored twice. If Gianfranco Zola’s team begin the second half as they did the first, then surely more goals will come.

43′ A flicked header from Di Michele sends Cole clean through but Duke saves superbly from his shot just inside the box. It looked as though the ball may bounce over the line but Duke is alert and pushes it behind for a corner. How many more chances do West Ham need?

39′ Some wonderful football by Di Michele resulted in the Italian playing the ball across the six yard area but Jack Collison crashes the ball against the post. Di Michele is running this game single handedly and the Hammers should be out of sight.

36′ Dean Marney is booked for Hull after a two footed lunge on Cole. The free kick comes to nothing as the lumbering Collins is penalised for a foul.

35′ Manucho has a great chance to level the score for Hull. Cousin delivers a cross from the right but the on-loan striker heads it straight into the grateful arms of Green.

33′ Goal! West Ham 1 Hull City 0. The perserverance of David Di Michele is rewarded as he taps in a loose ball practically on the goal line after Duke can only palm an angled effort from Cole straight into his path.

31′ Ilunga aims a cross into the box from the left but Rickett’s blocks it with his backside. Some of these Hull players are true Premiership class and it’s difficult to see how they have lost five in a row. Not.

29′ Di Michele gets it all wrong after being sent clean through by a lazy clearance in the Hull midfield. He drags it wide from inside the area and didn’t see Cole lurking alongside him. One pass was it it needed to give the in-form England wannabe an open goal.

24′ It’s still all West Ham, Dawson tackles Di Michele but the loose ball falls to Carlton Cole who shoots wide from the edge of the box. Surely it will only be a matter of time before the Hammers find a way through?

22′ Penalty Save! Justice is done as a diving Matt Duke reaches up and palms away Noble’s penalty to the right of the goal. What a way to mark your Premiership debut!

21′ West Ham are awarded a penalty after Sam Ricketts nudges Cole over in the box. It looks a soft decision.

18′ Di Michele has got the bit between his teeth now. A weaving run around four players results in him going down in the box but his theatrics on route to the ground means it’s clearly not a penalty. Collins directs a free header wide from yet another Hammers corner.

17′ Another Noble corner resuilts in Di Michele curling one from just outside the box. Duke is well beaten but the post keeps the scoreline goalless. Great effort.

15′ Mark Noble wins a corner after O’Neill’s cross is poorly cleared and Duke is given his first effort to deal with. Collison shoots from outside the box and it goes out for another corner.

13′ Couisin tries an ambitious effort from 25 yards after some decent build up play by on-loan Manucho, but it fails to trouble Green.

12′ Cousin outmuscles Collins on the edge of the West Ham box and the Welshman gives away a free kick. Geovanni drills the ball in low but it is comfortably smothered by Robert Green.

9′ Behrami lets rip from 25 yards but it goes high and wide. Both sides are pretty evenly matched so far, but not necessarily in a good way.

7′ Sam Ricketts delivers a decent cross into the box for Hull, but it’s headed away confidently by Welsh compatriot James Collins.

5′ Long ball after long ball. I hope I don’t have to watch this for the next 85 minutes. Di Michele tries to feed in Cole but a poor touch on the six yard line sees the ball trickle out for a goal kick.

2′ Carlton Cole has the first shot in anger. A decent knock down by Italian strike partner Di Michele was feebly volleyed out for a goal kick. Not much for Duke to worry about so far in between the Hull sticks.

1′ Hull City get us started this evening and Matt Duke gets an early touch to settle any nerves he may have.

0′ Hull are desperate to end a run of five straight Premiership defeats but surely the blame can’t all be bestowed onto the shoulders of goalkeeper Boaz Myhill? Well, he has has conceded 15 goals in the process and is replaced this evening by 31-year-old Premiership debutante Matt Duke.

0′ After all the hype surrounding the new signings, both Savio Nsereko and Jimmy Bullard have to make do with a place on the West Ham and Hull benches respectively. Carlton Cole starts for the Hammers and has scored in each of his last four matches.

Reaction

West Ham should have won this match at a canter and would have if it was not for the inspired displays by debutante Hull goalkeeper Matt Duke. Carlton Cole proved somewhat he should be in the England mix, but any calls for him to be involved in the starting eleven are way off the mark. A better striker would have had a field day with the number of chances he squandered tonight but with five goals in his last five games, he is certainly earning his wages. Di Michele had possibly his best game in a West Ham shirt since arriving on loan and was a joy to watch in the first half. Hull look like a side in trouble. Desperate defending and a reliance on Duke was the order of the day and the strikers offered nothing whatsoever. New signing Jimmy Bullard made an obvious and immediate impact when he came on as a substitute and he may need to work similar wonders to what he achieved alone at Fulham last season, if Hull are to remain in the Premiership come May.

Man of the Match

As much as I would like to give it to Di Michele, he faded in the second half so I will have to give it to Hull goalkeeper Matt Duke, who was brilliant throughout. The 31-year-old has waited longer than most to debut in the Premiership and has served his time in non league and in the lower reaches of the Football League. However, on tonight’s performance, you would not think he was a rookie in the top flight. From the penalty save in the first half, the save from Cole just before the break and being alert to the constant onslaught in the second half, Duke kept his side in the reckoning throughout. He has surely done enough to warrant a run in the side at the expense of Boaz Myhill, previously touted as an £8 million transfer target for Everton, Inter Milan and Fenerbahce.