Welcome to ‘Random Premier League Chancers’, a weekly look at some of the strangest characters to have ever lined out in the English Premier League.
Typically transfers that didn’t work out and were quickly erased from the memories of most supporters, these men were the guys who’s name you heard a few times in Match Of The Day, then never heard from ever again.
This week we focus on a hot-headed Spaniard who was brought in to compete with Wayne Bridge for the left-back spot in Jose Mourinho's title challenging side of 05/06, but quickly ended up back in Spain and loaned out for the remainder of his career. It's Asier Del Horno.
After breaking into the first team at his home town club Athletic Bilbao, Asier Del Horno was on the radar of many clubs across Europe. Known for his ability to join in the attack and his fierce tenacity in the tackle, Del Horno left Bilbao with 108 caps and 13 goals to his name. The club that decided to part with the required money to steal him away for Bilbao was Chelsea, and although the price seemed a tad high for an unproven left-back, the competition between the Spaniard and Wayne Bridge was set to determine Chelsea's starting left-back for the future. Also, £8m was nothing to Roman Abramovic, who's negotiations with clubs at the time looked a little like this:
So Asier had found himself at London, and part of a very entertaining Chelsea side. He played in the Charity Shield win over Arsenal, and shared Premier League appearances early on with Wayne Bridge. In total he would go on to make 25 Premier League appearances in his first season in England... Sorry, his only season in England.
It looked as though Asier Del Horno would fit right into the English game. His first few appearances were solid if unspectacular, and when he popped up with his only Chelsea goal (against Spurs at White Heart Lane) so early on, it looked as though he was a shrewd bit of business.
But he soon starting making a name for himself as being a little strange. He made rash decisions, and was also prone to picking up the most needless of yellow cards which seemed to be purely because he was bored. John Terry and William Gallas were performing very well at the heart of the defence, and Duffer and Arjen Robben were terrorising defences all over the country, so Del Horno didn't have to do much. Still, at least he was enjoying himself, as this fecking awful ad for Samsung with himself and Robert Huth totally 'merking' Joe Cole proves:
Chelsea's title challenge was in full tilt, and when the new year rolled around the London club found themselves drawn against Barcelona in the last 16 of the Champions League. This match would prove to be Asier Del Horno's most memorable appearance in the blue of Chelsea.
Most English football fans were yet to hear of a young Argentine product of the Barca academy that Spanish football fans and pundits were salivating over, but after this match absolutely everybody knew who Lionel Messi was, after Asier Del Horno almost ended the mini-magician's career by coming very close to removing his knee-crap.
A red card on 36 mins left Chelsea on the back-foot, and their elimination to eventual winners Barcelona was a bitter pill to swallow. Asier Del Horno was from then on behind Wayne Bridge in the pecking order.
Come the new season, Asier found himself on a plane back to Spain to play with Valencia, who clearly enjoyed his Barca beat-down enough to part with £5m. Chelsea would then sign this guy instead:
The coming seasons were not kind to Del Horno. 15 appearances for Valencia, 16 appearances back at Bilbao on loan, 22 appearances on loan with Levante (as a clearly desperate attempt to fill the void left by Ian Harte). He retired in 2012 at just 31 years of age.
On the plus side, he was an absolute diamond in Pro Evolution Soccer 5.
He was supposed to battle it out for the left-back spot in Jose's title winning Chelsea team, but instead he will be remembered for a horror challenge and for being an absolute chancer. Still, he has himself a Premier League winners medal, which is more than some great players can boast.
