Crystal Palace have Michael Olise, Eberechi Eze and Wilfried Zaha decorate proceedings on a weekly basis for their impudent artistry and mercurial talent.
Prior to 2018, the Ivorian was alone in this respect as the other two were still kicking about in youth football, but the playmaking burden was placed on the shoulders of Max Meyer.
The German arrived in the capital having amassed a hugely impressive reputation in his homeland and was expected to continue his frightening trajectory in the Premier League.
However, he left England in 2021 as a forgotten man and his career has spiralled into further irrelevancy.
How did Max Meyer rise to fame?
The midfielder was catapulted into his nation’s spotlight back in 2013 as a then 17-year-old when he provided an assist on his debut against Mainz 05.
That summer, the diminutive attacker enjoyed another blissful moment of fame when he set up Julian Draxler to give the Royal Blues a 2-1 win in their UEFA Champions League play-off against POAK.
The German pass sealed qualification for Europe’s most elite competition, and it was dubbed the €20-million pass – a calculation of the amount earned for their progression into the Champions League.
The following campaign he was awarded the number seven shirt and was expected to be the new mantlepiece of Die Knappen.
The four-cap international registered 45 goal contributions in 192 appearances for the club he’d been with since 2009, but an argument with sporting director Christian Heidel led him to run down the rest of his contract and he departed.
Sky Germany reporter Max Bielefeld described the player as “really talented” and with the allure of a new league, it seemed that Meyer was to embark on a dominant European conquest.
However, in 56 appearances across three seasons with the Eagles, he failed the time and money invested in him by the club, managing a paltry five goals and assists. The prodigy was dropped to the U23s and left the club via mutual consent in January 2021.
What is Max Meyer up to now?
Since then, the former wonderkid has also plied his trade back in Germany, Turkey, Denmark, and now Switzerland with FC Luzern, where he has finally found his feet, scoring ten times and amassing five assists in 26 outings this term.
Still only 27, by this age he had been tipped for the top of European football with his close control, pinpoint passing, and tricky dribbling.
But sadly it just didn’t materialise and Meyer has to go down as one of the biggest disappointments in German sport in recent years, due to his enormous potential.
The free-scoring Palace, back under the stewardship of Roy Hodgson, have retained their top-flight status since Meyer’s exit and have not missed him in the slightest.