Plenty of exceptional youngsters pass through Liverpool’s academy but not all are destined for greatness.
Even those that have been on the brink of the senior squad and clawed their way into the wonderkid category are not guaranteed to make good on their potential.
That has certainly proven the case for Bobby Duncan, the cousin of Steven Gerrard that first made his exciting move to boyhood club Liverpool in 2018.
Having arrived from Manchester City’s youth setup six years ago, Duncan now finds himself facing the reality that many young stars in the making face when things don’t quite go to plan.
BOBBY DUNCAN’S FIERY ANFIELD EXIT
Liverpool signed Duncan for £200,000, not a small sum to splash on a then 17-year-old. While his family connection to the legendary Gerrard intrigued supporters, his talent on the pitch is what intrigued the Reds.
Duncan swiftly blossomed in Liverpool’s youth setup and netted a staggering 23 goals in just 26 games for the under-18 side. He provided a further eight assists while leading the line.
However, things quickly soured between Duncan and Liverpool. The youngster’s agent at the time, Saif Rubie, had attacked the Reds on social media, accusing them of blocking the player’s development path and subsequently causing Duncan mental health issues.
Liverpool were understandably shocked and disappointed by Duncan, who had appeared to support his agents’ social media rant at first.
Just a year after his arrival, Duncan was sold to Fiorentina for £1.8m and his dream of representing the Reds’ first team faded.
BOBBY DUNCAN NOW WITHOUT A CLUB
Having just turned 23 at the end of June, Duncan now finds himself without a club. Despite all his potential, he hasn’t been able to reach the top of the game.
Duncan was never able to make it into Fiorentina’s first team despite some encouraging displays at youth level, subsequently moving to Derby County on his return to England.
He managed a single appearance for their first team before moving to Spanish third division side Linense on a free transfer.
In Spain, he also struggled, turning out just seven times for Linense. He left the club at the end of last season without registering a single goal or assist.
What’s next for Duncan remains to be seen, but it’s sad to see a player once so highly regarded now unemployed.
BOBBY DUNCAN FIRES BACK AT TROUBLESOME AGENT
Duncan may have appeared to share his agent Rubie’s opinions at the time of his bitter Liverpool exit, but he has since hit out at his former representative on social media.
In 2022, Duncan took to Twitter to refute Rubie’s previous claims, stating: “You and I both know the truth
“I didn’t have a decision nor say. Not once have I spoken upon this top[ic] in ‘4 years’ as it’s been my main priority to get my career back on track. But, yet you think you have the right to mention my name on a live radio show.
“You took it upon yourself to jeopardize my career and to turn a local lad away from his boyhood club, and leave me and my family to pick up the pieces.
“The truth will be told by myself when the time is right. And lastly, just to clarify, there was no advising given as you point blank made your mind up, publicly. And by then the damage had been done.”
