Ben Woodburn was Liverpool's next big thing.The midfielder became the club's youngest ever goalscorer in 2016 after netting against Leeds as a 17-year-old - breaking Michael Owen's long-standing record - and apparently impressed manager Jurgen Klopp so much that the German began easing him into the senior side there and then.But six years and four underwhelming loan spells later, the Welshman was released without any fanfare, with his stock so low that even Preston North End didn't have the confidence to hand him a contract without taking him on trial first.With Woodburn's downfall in mind, Daily Star Sport has taken a look back at seven other wonderkids who inexplicably fell off the face of the earth.READ MORE: Liverpool release forgotten star Jurgen Klopp used to rave about as departures confirmedIn 2004, Freddy Adu was America's answer to Lionel Messi.Dubbed "the next Pele" after making his professional debut at just 14-years-old, Adu looked to have the world at his feet with clubs across Europe eagerly tracking his progress.He went on trial with Manchester United in 2006, though work permit issues scuppered a potential move, and was forced to wait another year until Benfica came calling to get his shot at the big time.
Though sadly for the Ghanaian-born attacking, his spell in Portugal was a disaster.He featured just 11 times for the club before being shipped out on loan and spent the next four years nomadically hopping around Europe like a party-hungry gap year student.
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